Akatsuki Brothel
by bonegeisha
Summary: The Akatsuki are seeking refuge from Konoha's anbus. As they flee the village they take to hiding out in a strange little inn, later finding out its a brothel with an odd background. Now the 3 sisters who own it have to survive them!-OCs -FTLOLZ
1. KoiZora Girou

_~~**~~And, the final in the series of old Akatsuki stories Nikkias and I wrote together so long ago. This one is the longest out of all of them because we kept coming back to it and adding pieces onto it XD Now, there are a few things I need to explain with this one before it starts off. One: there are a few words that some people may need translated. A "girou" is a "brothel" which, for those of you who don't know, is a whore-house lol A "ryokan" is an "inn" and we all know what that is. A "genkan" is basically the entry way in a Japanese house or business. Its the, usually concrete, space that you stand in to take your shoes off and your coat off before stepping up into the house. "Tabi" are the white toe socks Geishas wear. "itaino itaino" is something you do for a child, usually, when they're hurt. You rub your fingers over the wound on the child while chanting the words in a soft cooing voice "itaino itaino...donikai!" my spelling may be a little off, but it basically means "pain pain, go away!" All of that said, I'll explain more in the next piece ;3~~**~~_

"KoiZora Girou"

"We can't stay here, it's too close to the village, un. They'll come looking for us here."

"No they won't, we'll be just fine. The closer we hide to them, the safer, you know that."

"I don't think that applies this time, Danna. We really need to head for another country,un."

"Shut up, brat. Don't argue with your elders."

"He's right, Deidara, this seems like a perfectly good spot."

"But...I don't even think it's an ryokan. Even if it is, don't you think they'd turn us in?"

"We'll make sure they don't."

"Wait...is that what I think it is? In the window?"

"A red cloth...You don't think this is..."

"It can't be. That would be too lucky for us."

"It's too far from a village, it wouldn't make any money if it was something like that."

"I don't know, with travelers coming and going over this path..."

"Mostly ninjas with a mission and no time for side stays."

"Still...Why else would that be there?"

"Let's just go inside. We need to get off the road, those anbu were tailing fast."

"As per usual."

"KoiZora...what kinda name is that?"

Neji sighed as he glanced around the prettily decorated room. The long table in the center was made of a beautiful black lacquered wood with a mahogany red center, a pretty vase of artfully arranged flowers decorating the center. The cushions set around the table were plush and ornamented with lavish silk threads, designs of sakura blossom branches scattered over them in different colors. The tatami mats gleamed, lined with black, so new seeming they were spongy beneath your feet and gave off the pale scent of freshly cut bamboo.

A small window sat to his high right, showing him the branches of a beautiful artificial pear tree. On that same wall was a back door, slid closed for the time being, but that led out to a lovely courtyard. The wall to his left was one long mural, painted in rich colors, the door to the main building in the center of it. The mural was old fashioned, geishas standing near koi ponds with fans and flowers, smiling and laughing softly as they walked beneath trees and around flowers of all kinds.

An incense burner of gold hung near the door, a dragon gripping onto the burner plate beneath it, a stick of rose flavored incense sending pink smoke curling up around him and into the room. Soft lanterns of beige and red lit the area with calming light from different points in the room. On the plain beige wall in front of him hung a calligraphy scroll with pretty tassels hanging off its edges, deep red plum blossoms scratching down one edge of the creme colored paper, stark black ink flowing across the other side, spilling a poem down the scroll. A folding screen at the back of the room broke the beige color of the left and back wall apart. Its ornately carved black frame adding curve to the room.

His cup was smooth porcelain in his hands, no handle to get in the way of the round design on its perfect surface. A gray and white bird sat amidst sharp thorns, beautiful pink blossoms blooming amongst them. A thorn jutted through the bird's breast, spilling red down its white front, in stark contrast to the hues around it. All the china was a creamy white with this same pattern on it. He felt at home here, it was so set in deep tradition and beauty but, he felt out of place as well. This was certainly no place for a ninja, especially a man.

"Neji, dear, are you alright? You got so quiet all of a sudden." A soft hand was placed on the table near his own as they encircled his cup. He blinked and glanced over at the beautiful face next to him, giving his most placid of smiles.

"I'm fine. I simply got lost for a moment." She nodded kindly, then picked up the tea pot, refilling his cup for him. "Thank you, Usagi, you're a gracious host." She waved him away after setting the pot down, a rose tint picking at the round of her cheeks.

"You have no need to thank me, dear. You know you're welcome here any time and for as long as you want. We were so glad to have you drop in today." She patted his arm gently and he looked at her nails, though shorter, they were narrow and womanly, glossed over with a beautiful lilac. Her hands were smooth and pale, soft to the touch, unmarred by battle of any kind.

He took a sip of his tea, setting the cup down on the table once more with a soft click. "It was unexpected, but we thought, since we were out this way, we would check on you girls. We all worry about you being so far out and by yourselves." Here he looked at her seriously and she gave a quiet laugh. Always polite and lady-like, he rarely saw her as anything but the epitome of a woman.

"There's no need. You know that. As long as Hotaru-chan is here, I'm sure we'll be fine." She giggled again and he gave a pale smile, shaking his head and glancing at the greenish water in his cup, watching the white steam rise from it.

"She's a good fighter...but, one woman can't protect you if a group comes in." He had thought of the scenario a few times. She gave that same, gentle and forgiving smile, placing her hand on his arm once again, this time leaning a little closer. He looked into her charcoal colored eyes, immediately feeling her serenity transfuse to him through the touch.

"We will be fine. We have been for this long." He nodded and opened his mouth to say something when the door clacked open, breaking the quiet peacefulness.

"Kiba, you're a fool! I swear you're cheating!" Hotaru laughed loudly, beaming as she lightly nudged Kiba and he stepped into the room, letting her close the door behind herself with another loud clack. They seemed unaware of the other two's presence yet.

"I beat you, so doesn't that make YOU the fool, Hotaru-chan?" He grinned and muffed her hair, making her cry out and swat at his hands playfully. Usagi smiled and turned a little to face them.

"You two are so loud! What in the world could you be playing to get you so riled up?" She giggled gently and Neji found his eyes on her again. Nothing had gotten the two friends riled up, that was the funny thing, Kiba was just naturally loud and brash and Hotaru got that way whenever she got around him. Usagi knew this, but refused to let them know it.

"Rock, Paper, Scissors! He keeps beating me! Look what he did to my arm, Usa-chan!" Hotaru ran over, falling to her knees in front of Usagi and pulling back her kimono sleeve, whimpering and pretending to be severely hurt. Kiba snorted and waved it off, walking around Neji to sit on his right side.

"Please! She left her fair share of marks on me too! I was only getting her back." He grinned, leaning on his elbow on the table and grabbing the sake bottle, pouring himself a glass and knocking it back in a quick swig. Neji eyed him carefully as Usagi "itaino itaino"ed Hotaru's arm and she looked away, hand to her forehead, milking it for all it was worth. The inside of her pale arm was very red, there were even little whelps in the pattern of two fingers showing up.

Finally the girls turned back to them, giggling to themselves as they settled their kimonos over their folded knees. "Just barely, you bastard! You left whelps on me!" Kiba laughed and knocked back another glass of sake.

"You're fine. Do you want me to kiss it better?" He leered at her with a flash of his sharpened canines and she blushed, putting her hand over her mouth and shaking her head, giggling.

"Kiba-kun! So rude in front of the others!" He leaned on the table, making kissy faces at her as she swatted him with the long sleeve of her kimono, giggling happily before leaning forward and kissing him softly. Usagi smiled lightly, then glanced at Neji, who glanced at his cup again. Kiba drew more of a kiss out of Hotaru than she had intended, causing her to sit back and look at her lap in embarrassment as he laughed and sat back again too.

"We should be going...We cannot afford to jeopardize the mission." Kiba looked up at Neji as he said this, looking as if he had been struck.

"Aww come on, Nej! Let's stay a bit longer! That stupid scroll will be fine if it gets there a few minutes late!" He waved it away boredly before letting Hotaru pour him some more sake. Neji took the glass from him as it neared his lips, causing him to growl.

"I need you to at least be coherent on this mission." Neji grumbled, then stood up and looked down at Usagi, his eyes softening a little. "Thank you for your hospitality, again." She rose to her feet, gently taking his arm in her own and leading him out of the room.

"Once more, you don't have to thank me or Hotaru. Our doors are always wide open for you. We love seeing you and the boys." Hotaru was laughing happily in the background and before they knew it Kiba was jogging past them and towards the front door with Hotaru holding tightly onto his back, her kimono flying behind them like streamers.

Usagi giggled, walking down the dim hallway with Neji, seeming to move a little slow at the thought of him and Kiba leaving. They stopped at the genkan, Hotaru having been let down off Kiba's back and already gotten their shoes. She was knelt down, helping Kiba slide into them as he told her to quit treating him like a customer, but she only laughed in return.

Usagi knelt too, helping Neji into his own sandals, his features softening completely now. They only seemed to do it around Hinata or her; perhaps because they were both so close in spirit. "Usagi...You know I hate it when you do that sort of thing...We all do." He glanced up at Kiba for support, but he had Hotaru pressed into the front wall and was kissing her deeply again. Usagi never noticed, just kept helping him with his shoes and ignoring his comment.

Finally she rose to stand beside him, staying on the upper polished walkway rather than step down in the genkan and get her starch white tabi dirty. He understood, he always did; she was a lady, after all. He looked up at her now, only a few inches, and smiled, taking hold of her hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. "Send Hinata my best, tell her to come visit with you some time, I've got some lovely arrangements to show her and a beautiful recipe for mochi she would love." She brushed hair behind her ear with her free hand and he nodded.

"When I get home I'll tell her. We may stop in on the way back, but we can't be for sure." She nodded now, understanding that completely. They stood in silence for a moment, listening to Hotaru and Kiba play one more round of Rock, Paper, Scissors before they had to leave. Hotaru cried out, then began to whine for him to go easy on her; Neji knew she had lost again. Though he and Usagi both figured she was forgoing the games simply for the attention, even if it meant a little pain.

Kiba grinned and breathed on two of his fingers, holding her arm tight by the wrist, her sleeve jerked back again to reveal the reddened skin beneath. She whimpered and they heard the slap, the small cry of pain, the laugh of victory, then cooing as he hugged her to make her feel better and finally, silence as they kissed once more. You would think they were first time lovers with the way they acted.

Neji shook his head a little, then glanced back at Usagi, "Take care of yourself." He released her hand slowly, turning and tiredly walking out of the door, dragging Kiba by the back of his collar as he did. Hotaru followed them out, grinning and waving wildly at Kiba, blowing him kisses as she laughed.

Neji glanced over his shoulder, then paused, "Hotaru...! Don't you think you're shaming the village with the way you're acting? Don't you ever think of coming back to it all and restoring honor to everything?" He had this conversation with her every time he visited and he had almost forgotten this time. Kiba was standing at his side now, glaring and punching him in the shoulder. Neji cut him a side glare, gripped the spot on the arm he had punched, then looked at Hotaru as she stood across the dirt path from them.

Her hands were on her hips, her hair slightly askew from its up do, and her kimono was lose on her body, one fishnet clad leg visible. "Neji-baby, you're cute, but you know you shouldn't push your luck!" She called out and Kiba laughed.

"I'm your elder! Treat me with some respect!" He shouted back as she pulled at her eye and stuck her tongue out at him. He was half joking and half serious, as he always was when they had this conversation. It had become a bit of a game for them. Though he hoped she would take his words for what they meant, one day.

"Bye y'all! Good luck!" She blew another kiss at them, then turned and headed back inside, shutting the door gently this time. They both slid their masks on and started off, each feeling lighter, yet heavier than before.


	2. The Unknown Rabble

_~~**~~Okay, now to the stuff I couldn't put before the last chapter XD Usagi is the girl that was mentioned in the other stories, but was never really brought up. As you can see she's a dear friend to Nikoru and Hotaru and they're basically sisters. In this story Nikoru isn't a ninja, she's simply a girl who travels around with her father, an infamous and aging mapmaker.~~**~~_

"The Unknown Rabble"

"Well, that was a nice visit." Hotaru smiled at Usagi as she walked back into the dining room, kneeling next to the table and helping her clean up the dishes.

"It was, it was good to see them again." Usagi sighed lightly, always feeling very strange on the inside after she saw Neji and never truly sure why.

"So...You and Neji...Did you, uh..." Hotaru wasn't usually this delicate, but there were somethings with her friend that she knew to tread lightly on. Usagi laughed though, shaking her head with a rose tint to her cheeks once more.

"No, no. We've never, you know that." Hotaru sighed heavily and put the last dish on the tray, sitting back and dropping her hands in her lap heavily as Usagi got up and carried it off. She got up quickly though, running to open the door for her friend and following her down the hallway to the kitchen.

"But, y'all are meant to! And you know it! He does too, but this is going to have to be something you have to do on your own! You gotta make him open those blind eyes of his!" She opened the kitchen door as Usagi waited calmly, ever smiling, ever patient to her friend's rants.

"I can't do that to him. If he wants it, he'll make his pass. Until then, we will continue to be very close friends. Besides, I get the feeling he and Hinata are getting much closer these days. And he's getting very wrapped up in work and bringing Sasuke home." She set the tray on the counter as Hotaru shook her head and pushed hair out of her eyes, putting her hands on her hips.

"He needs to stop that. Right now. All of it. Well, minus work. He can do that." She laughed a little, then blinked and looked back to Usagi seriously, watching her fill the sink. "He and Hinata are cousins! Why would he get close to her and risk being gross and having retarded children when he could have the more beautiful and talented you?" She gestured to her, walking over and beginning to hand her the dirty dishes to dump in the soapy water.

"Oh now, I thought you liked Hinata." Usagi chided gently and Hotaru let her shoulders slump and a small sigh escape her lips.

"I DO, but you're not seeing my point. He LIKES you. He's just too blind to know it." Usagi giggled, soaping up one of the cups with a thread bare rag.

"He's not blind, I keep telling you that. You've known him for just as long, you think you would've figured it out by now." Hotaru grinned, tossing her head back with her laughter.

"Please. It's like I tell him, I'll believe he's not blind when he gets some pupils in those damned eyes of his." This time they giggled together at her fail logic.

"Well, to take the subject off of me and Neji-kun...You and Kiba seemed to get along wonderfully; as usual." She nudged Hotaru lightly in the side and the girl giggled, nodding her head as she slowly dried off the dishes handed to her now.

"Yeah...you know we always do." She murmured, watching her hands run over the smoothed down cup, probably smoothing it even more. "I think...though he hates what I've become...he loves it at the same time. Because now he can have me whenever he feels like it and he only feels a little guilt for it...and so do I." Usagi shook her head and swatted the cloth playfully at Hotaru, giving her a crooked smile with her baby pink lips.

"I think it's time for you to move on, Nee-chan. You know I do. And Kiba's got his arms wide open for you." Hotaru lifted a brow at her, giving a light scough.

"Well, when you let Neji whisk you away in those wide open arms of his, I'll let Kiba whisk me away in his wide open arms, okay?" And again they both laughed, continuing to do the dishes beneath the warm sunlight from the window above them.

"Hotaru-chan, can you be a dear and get me those sake dishes out of your room?" Hotaru blinked and flushed bright red, leaning around the corner of her room and staring down the hall where the call came from.

"Wh-what makes you think I have any of those in my room, Onee-san?" She called back in her most innocent of voices. Usagi came down the hall though, her kimono sleeves pulled back like a maid's and a bandanna over her prettily done hair.

"Don't play dumb with me, young lady. I know you drink on your own and I KNOW when Kiba comes over you drag some in your room." Hotaru turned red again, looking at the floor as she sat on it, leaning half way out of her room with her free hand holding onto the edge of the sliding door. She grinned after a moment.

"Alright, alright. I'll bring 'em in in a second, lemme straighten up my hair." Usagi nodded in a satisfactory way, then turned and walked back into the kitchen. Hotaru crawled back into her room, leaving her door partially open, and sat in front of her vanity again. She redid her chocolate colored hair into a bun on top of her head, tying a deep red ribbon around its base, fluffing the small bow sitting at the back top of her head. She left two strands down in front of her ears and slid her hair pin back at a diagonal in front of the bun again. It was a golden rod with a bright baby pink blossom at the end, small, thin strands of fabric petals of pink and white fell in varying lengths from it.

Her kimono was a rich, ocean blue silk, deeper and lighters shades creating a wave effect over the whole of her body. The inside of the kimono was stark white, along with its edges. Arcing across the lower right half of her kimono was a large orange koi, its scales shimmered in the light when she walked. Pink sakura blossoms fell over the rest of the kimono, their petals scattered through out. Behind her another orange koi lept up her left side in an arc, as if both were jumping for her breasts.

Her obi was creamy white also, a pale pattern stitched onto it in the same thread. A thin pink chord tied around that. She left her kimono losely wrapped over her form, allowing it to fall open at her breasts and thighs, revealing the deep, shadowed dip of her clevage and her fishnet stockinged legs. Her lips were stained a deep red and her eyes tipped in the same red, though lined in black, making her eyes look like red sakura blossoms themselves.

"Hotaru! Where are those dishes? My water's getting cold!" Usagi's voice snapped her away from her mirror and she flinched, then blinked and looked around the room at the still scattered cups and sake jars.

"I'm coming! Sorry!" She scrambled around on her hands and knees, collecting all that she could find and putting them on a big tray. She lifted it off the floor with a small grunt of effort, then stumbled out of her room and down the hall. "I'm coming, Onee-san! Sorry, sorry! I got distracted with something." She gave a nervous giggle as she entered the kitchen, kicking the door shut behind herself.

"Just bring them over here-goodness! What have you been doing, drinking yourself silly every night this week?"

The front door slid open quietly and a man stepped inside. He frowned, looking at the empty, but swept genkan. In fact, the whole place seemed immaculately clean, but deserted. Shouldn't these places be gross and crowded? Full of body odor and pests-of all kinds? He glanced around again, standing in the genkan and debating on what to do. A much taller man with strange blue skin ducked through the door way, standing beside him now, looking around himself. "We must have the wrong idea...This has to be a ryokan." His voice rumbled loudly in the emptiness of the hallway in front of them. More filtered in behind him, and soon the genkan was very crowded and becoming a little noisy.

The first man blinked and looked up at the taller man, "I'm going to find someone, stay here with them." The tall man nodded and watched as the smaller man stepped out of his sandals and stepped up onto the polished walkway. He started to the left first, then paused and decided to go right. There was a slight pause from the group behind the taller man.

"Where's he going, un?" A blonde one tossed hair away from his bright blue eye, sighing and looking around at the place he was sure they were going to get found in.

"He's probably pussy-footin' around, pretending he knows what he's doin', so we don't know he's fucking-" The tall, silver haired man was slapped upside the back of the head and stopped before he could finish the thought, the giant blue skinned man glaring down at him. A tanned man, of almost equal height to the silver haired man, glared with unblinking discolored eyes, the only piece of his face visible for the cloth mask over it.

"Shut up and don't be stupid!" He hissed and the silver haired man made a face at him, rubbing the back of his head still and glaring.

"Fuckin' bastard." He grumbled and looked away.

"Did he go to find the person who owns this establishment?" A tiny red headed boy stepped up to the towering blue man, looking up at him with a blank face. The seven foot man looked down and nodded, shifting a little uncomfortably from foot to foot.

"Yes, so that we can actually get rooms. We need to hurry though, those anbu are going to look here when they pass." He grumbled, even that an earthquake of a sound erupting out of his broad chest. The red headed nodded his agreement and looked ahead again, into the immaculate, dim hallway and ignoring the rabble of the others behind him.


	3. Permanent Intruders

"Permanent Intruders"

"Usa-chan, I'm getting hungry..." Hotaru whined lightly, staring blankly into the filled pantry. Usagi sighed and shook her head.

"How are you so tiny and eat so much?" She glanced over her shoulder at the little girl, who grinned over her own shoulder at her.

"Maybe I'm like NaruNaru-just blessed!" She giggled and Usagi laughed quietly too, but shook her head slowly, finishing drying the last glass.

"No, Naruto can eat anything and everything. THAT'S an amazing feat, that little boy stays so skinny!" She sighed as she put the cup away in the cupboard, then turned to Hotaru.

"Nah, he burns calories in his sleep, I'm sure. Having slept in the same room with him as much as I have, I'm the best one to trust when I say he does acrobatics in his sleep at night." They laughed and both peered into the pantry, Hotaru moving over to make room for the taller girl.

"Well, onto the subject of food again...what do you want? It's getting cool outside..." An image of Neji in his summer gear dashed through Usagi's mind, causing her to shake it off.

"It is, it might be bearable tomorrow if this keeps up." Hotaru hadn't noticed, still too intent on staring into the pantry.

"Well, do me a favor and go make sure I don't have any dishes in my room, then come back and we'll figure out what to do." Usagi put a light hand on her shoulder and Hotaru whined, but turned and started out of the room, slumping heavily and dragging her feet. Usagi shut the pantry and turned around to see her doing this, and laughed out loud. Hotaru beamed and laughed too, straightening up and opening the door. Her laughter was gutted by a scream of surprise.

Usagi jumped a mile high, quickly grabbing a knife off the counter and spinning to see what was wrong. Hotaru had fallen back a few steps and was looking in horror at the doorway, gripping at her mostly exposed heart and the edge of her kimono. There was a man standing there, glaring at them both from beneath a wide brimmed straw hat. Paper strips hung from its edge to obscure his face even more and there was a small red tassel with silver beads and a silver bell hanging off of it clipped to the front. He had a long black cloak on, lined in red with a tall collar and little red and white clouds scattered over it. One sleeve had no arm in it, the arm, instead, resting over his chest; half in the bent down right half of the cloak, half out. Hotaru closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then straightened herself up and cleared her throat.

"Can I help you?" She wondered, trying her best not to sound bitter and sarcastic. Usagi eyed the man suspiciously, dropping the knife slowly to her side, but still holding onto it. He let his eyes flit around the empty room, dance over Usagi, the come back to Hotaru, who was closest to him.

"I need somewhere to stay." His voice was even-toned and empty, as empty as his face and eyes. Hotaru shook her head and put a hand on her hip, sending it out to the side.

"We can give you dinner, but we're not an inn. We don't do over night guests." He blinked at her, then scanned her appearance once more, then looked over Usagi one more time.

"How many of you are there?" Usagi frowned a little as he bypassed Hotaru's comment to express the dry question. She placed her free hand on the counter in front of her absentmindedly, regripping the knife in her hand.

"Only the two of us." She answered slowly and he glanced back at her, so did Hotaru.

"How many rooms are there?" Hotaru wanted to punch some inflection into his voice. Usagi blinked and remained calm.

"There are fifteen." She tried to keep her tone as even as his, slowly starting around the counter, pressing the knife into the folds of her kimono. He looked between them again.

"We will take four." With that he turned and started down the hall again. Hotaru let her mouth fall open in surprise and looked at Usagi, who quickly walked over to her and put a hand on her shoulder, leaning her lips against her ear.

"What are we supposed to do here? He hasn't attacked us so we can't attack him..." She gripped hard on the knife, not liking the chill that man sent over her soul.

"I'll tell you what we do, we kick his ass out! I don't need money so bad I'm going to cater to a little bitch like that!" Hotaru stormed down the hall after him, Usagi putting the knife on the counter and quickly running after her.

Hotaru caught her hand on the corner of the hallway, spinning around it to find seven other men standing in the genkan, beginning to take off their sandals. They all had the same hats on, and they all had the same cloaks on, but they were all very different and very strange looking. The ones that stood out like sore thumbs were the tall one that was blue and had gills on his high cheek bones, and the strange, tall, venus fly trap looking creature in the back. She blinked, catching herself staring with her mouth open. The one that had scared them so badly was one of the more averaged sized ones, actually one of the smaller ones, but he was standing on the raised walkway before them and watching them like some kind of leader.

Usagi put her hands on Hotaru's shoulders as she leaned around her to see what was going on and what had stopped her. She blinked in surprise too, feeling Hotaru's muscles tensing beneath her fingers as she continued to watch. "Well...it looks like Neji was right...We should've closed up shop." Usagi sighed, wondering if Neji had the ability to see into the future with those x-ray eyes of his.


	4. Actual Customers

"Actual Customers"

"This is insane...What are we going to do? How long do they plan to stay?" Hotaru looked over her shoulder and up at Usagi, but the girl looked down at her calmly and shook her head.

"I don't know dear...All we can do is ride it out and hope Neji or one of the boys comes by and help us out. Right now we just need to play nice and make sure they don't kill us." She patted Hotaru's shoulder, but the girl shook her head quickly and looked back around the corner.

"I could take them. There are only eight, I could take them." She narrowed her eyes, her fingers drumming on the wall silently as she plotted her moves. Usagi put her hand over Hotaru's hand though, making her look up at her. She shook her head a second time.

"No, baby girl. Just let this one go. They have yet to do anything but be rude to us, we cannot kill or hurt for no reason. Just play nice." She sighed and stared until Hotaru sighed and nodded. "Good, now come on." She straightened up, took a deep breath, then went fully around the corner.

"Just leave your shoes there gentlemen, I'll put them in lockers for all of you." She smiled and waved a polite hand to motion for them to step up into the house. All of them stood there and blinked at first, as if surprised to see a woman, then they looked at the man standing next to her. He was silent for a moment, then nodded.

"Four rooms." They all started up into the hallway at that. The tall blue one remained standing where he was though, staring at her with a slightly open mouth. Usagi smiled calmly at him.

"Please, sir, do come in. It's wonderful to have you staying with us. We hope you find everything to your liking." She bowed and waited for a moment before rising. The blue man nodded slowly, then stepped up into the foyer, the other man turning and starting down the left side of the hall.

"We'll have dinner at seven. Come, Kisame." The blue man finally tore his eyes off of Usagi and turned, walking down the hall after the smaller man, making Usagi genuinely smile and put a hand to her lips to cover her giggle. Hotaru studied Usagi for a brief moment before walking up to her, trying to see why the blue man had stared at her like the sun shone out of her ass. Men never looked at Usa-chan that way...or did they? She never really paid attention to how men looked at her, but that didn't matter. This one was completely taken with her onee-san; why though?

Usagi had her auburn hued hair swept up into its usual bun, neatly pulled atop her head, not a hair out of place. A single strand hung in front of one ear, but often she had it tucked behind her ear so you couldn't tell. She had a brown hair stick on the left side of it, tiny lilac colored blossoms hanging off of it at a modestly short length, the string showing between them. She had in simple pearl earrings and baby pink lips, her eyes lined very lightly in black. Her kimono was worn the traditional way, wrapped tightly over her curved form, accentuating her unusual height.

It was mint green colored silk, lined in white with sprigs of lilac swooping this way and that over it, their blossoms blown about in odd patterns by some unseen wind. Her white tabi peeked from beneath the white hem of her robe and her thick obi was tied traditionally in the back, with a pale pattern on it-just like Hotaru's. Her obi had a lilac colored chord wrapped around it though, a little thicker than the one Hotaru had, and its braided tails mixed in with the length of the bow to her obi.

Hotaru shook off her thoughts and walked over to her friend, touching her arm lightly as they both stared down the now empty hallway. Usagi sighed, "I need to get started on dinner now, since we're feeding eight extra." She closed her eyes and shook her head. "I have no idea WHAT I'm going to make...it's been so long since we've had customers to actually FEED." Hotaru suddenly opened her eyes in realization, putting her fingertips to her lips and gripping a little harder on Usagi's arm. "What, what is it, dear? What's wrong?" Usagi frowned, putting a hand on the back of her friend's neck, feeling the warmth there. Hotaru looked up at her with big eyes, fear glimmering in them.

"They're customers!" She gasped and Usagi giggled softly, nodding like she was a small child.

"Yes, honey, whether we like it or not, they're customers." She confirmed and Hotaru felt tears well in her eyes.

"Oh, Usa-chan, you don't understand! They're customers!" She suddenly hugged her best friend, fighting back tears as she thought about how perfect her afternoon had been not ten seconds ago. "Please don't make me sleep with them! We don't need the money that bad! They don't even seem to realize! Please don't! We don't have to, do we? We aren't gonna sleep with them, right?" She begged, looking up at her with the same terrified eyes. Usagi laughed aloud.

"Oh, baby girl, I forgot all about that! I really thought we had an honest ryokan on our hands for a moment there!" She laughed again and Hotaru let out a shaky one, pulling back and dabbing at the corners of her eyes with her kimono sleeve. Usagi popped her hand though, "Ah, ah! What have I told you about that? Those things are expensive!" Hotaru nodded and sighed, dropping her hand back to her side.

"Sorry." She muttered and Usagi let her features soften again. She reached out and cupped Hotaru's cheek.

"It's okay, honey, we don't have to...well, you know..." Hotaru looked up at her with big, relieved eyes. Usagi smiled, "Like you said, they don't even seem to realize yet. We'll just let them think this is a ryokan, okay?" Hotaru nodded quickly and beamed. "Now, I'm going to get started on dinner. Help me get some tea on and take it to them, alright?" Hotaru nodded once more, hugging Usagi tightly before starting down the hall with her, feeling much better already.


	5. Attempting at Tea

"Attempting at Tea"

Hotaru walked down the hall with the tray of china in one hand, fussing with her kimono with the other; just because she could. She came to the first door on the right and stopped, the thick paper of the door glowing with the light inside. She looked up at a small, red lantern hanging by the corner of the door, a paper talisman hanging from its bottom with a red tassel hanging off of that. She reached up and slid her finger in the open bottom of the lantern, muttering something things under her breath she lit the candle inside, then knelt and knocked on the door lightly. "Excuse me...I've brought you tea..." She waited for a response and got ready to go in without a word, but the door suddenly slammed open for her. A tall man in a bright orange swirled mask stared at her, almost startling her.

"So nice! Tobi loves tea!" He beamed excitedly and she smiled gently in response, happy to have someone appreciate her efforts.

"Tobi! Get away from the door and let the poor girl in, baka!" Another stronger, deeper voice echoed from inside the room. The man got up and scampered back across the mats, letting her pick up the tray and walk inside. She knelt near their table, a pony tailed blonde already sitting at it with his hat off, and the masked man lunging to seat himself.

"I've brought fresh mochi to go with your tea, gentlemen. Is there anything else I can help you with?" She poured the tea for them with a strained grace, doing her best to mimic Usagi.

"Mochi, mochi, mochi, mochi, mochi-" The masked man grabbed one of the tiny, pink mochi in gloved hands, bouncing a little where he sat, causing her to bite the inside of her lip to hold back her giggles.

"Knock it off!" The blonde struck the table, startling Hotaru, but she regained herself quickly. The masked man got very quiet. The blonde glanced over at her, then back down at the paper he was reading, then did a double take and glanced back at her. They sat and watched each other for a moment before they both looked away, Hotaru finding herself blushing a little.

"Does Sempai not want mochi? It's best!" He asked, making Hotaru wonder how he had tasted it to know that without lifting the mask.

"I don't DO finger foods." Hotaru smiled, producing a pair of chopsticks from inside her kimono sleeve and holding them out to him with a bowed head. He blinked in surprise, then slowly took them, allowing her to glance at the inside of his palm. She bit down on the disgusted gag as she saw the gaping mouth with its tongue lolling out.

"W-well...if there is anything you need, please do not hesitate to call." She backed up to the door, knelt and bowed, then stepped out. Grasping her heart with wide eyes, she dashed back to the kitchen. "Onee-san, onee-san! Even the normal ones are weird!" She cried out, but Usagi spun on her, wielding a slotted wooden spoon.

"Hush! What if one of them heard you?" She hissed, but Hotaru shook her head, making a face.

"The blonde one has mouths on his hands! They have these long tongues that wag, and gape, and drool, and it's horrible! It's like one of my hallucinations or something!" She shook her head and put a hand over her own mouth, looking like she was about to be sick. Usagi walked over and put an arm around her, easily stroking the top of her head and resting her chin on it.

"Calm down...it's fine. It's just a strange ninjutsu or keki genki, you know? Think of little Shino and how gross you thought he was at first." She was right and Hotaru knew that. Hotaru got herself under control, took a deep breath, dabbed her fingers at the corners of her eyes, and took another breath.

"Alright...next room. Don't tire yourself out too much, I'll be here soon." She grabbed another tray, this one the same, only with a plate of seinbei crackers on it.

When she got to the first door on the left she did the same thing as before, lit the lantern and knelt, knocking gently. She closed her eyes and took a deep, calming breath, gripping at the smooth fabric on her thigh as she did. She could do this, not all of them were monsters, right? She let out her breath and gave a sarcastic look at the floor as she knocked lightly on the door once again; it was beginning to look like they were. "Go away! We don't want any!" She arched a brow as she heard this and opened her mouth, getting ready to shout something back, when she realized that wasn't how a woman in a ryokan would act. She would act lady-like, just like Usagi nee-san. Hotaru closed her eyes and took a deep breath again, then knocked lightly and opened the door anyways.

"Excuse me, I'm coming in." She murmured, turning and shutting the door behind herself before getting up and carrying the tray across the room. The man with silver hair glared hard at her as she walked over.

"I thought I said go the fuck away!" He barked, slamming a fist on the table, causing her to flinch a little. She kept her eyes down, not wanting to look at his half revealed chest or his violet eyes.

"But," She opened her mouth to speak when someone walked up behind him and hit the back of his head, causing him to snarl and whip around.

"Shut up. If it's free take it." A man with dark skin and muddy yellow eyes sat down across from him, motioning for her to continue. The silver haired man sat quiet now, rubbing the back of his head and looking off to the side, muttering about something as he did. The other man just put his elbows on the table and folded his fingers in front of the cloth over his face, watching her.

She set the tea up quietly, sitting out a plate of seinbei crackers to go with it. She now realized both sets of eyes were on her, and it was making her uncomfortable. She was use to this business, she was use to strange men groping her and staring at her, she was use to being beneath fat and old men and pretending they were someone different, but this...this was the most awkward she had felt in a long time. She guessed they were just looking because she was the one they hadn't seen yet; yes that was it. They were just curious. Though the silver haired one was staring pretty hard down the front of her kimono but, hell, that was a "perk" of the job, right?

She backed up and bowed, still kneeling close to the table. "If there's anything else you need, please don't hesitate to ask." She smiled, using a trick she had learned way back when and staring at the silver haired man's ear while she spoke. It made her look like she was looking directly at him without her having to directly look into his eyes. She did catch his smug grin out the corner of her eye though; she wasn't blind.

"Yeah, I need something. What's that red cloth doing in one of your front windows?" She let the momentary shock register on her face before she could control it. This made him smile even harder, closer to a leer really. She blinked and shook her head though, wiping her face of any emotion from before.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about, Sir." He shifted where he was sitting, but this time the brown skinned man didn't slap him in the back of the head to stop his words, rather he seemed to be watching things unfold.


	6. Hidden Ink

_~~**~~I didn't really know how old fashioned brothels worked in japan and my japanese friend didn't really know either-not exactly something they teach you as a child XD So, I just decided that they would have a red cloth-like banner that hung in the front of the girou, basically like the tell-tale red light, only it's a banner^^; If you actually know how they did it, please feel free to tell me, I'd love to get the facts straight. Thanks!~~**~~_

"Hidden Ink"

"Really? Cause it's this big red cloth in your front left window. Now, if I'm not mistaken, that means you're a whore, right?" He got up and took one step towards her, still leering down at her. Hotaru's breath caught in her throat and she suddenly scrambled to her feet, but he caught her by the wrist and jerked her backwards, into him. Her back slammed against his chest and she cried out as his free hand wrapped around her waist, pulling her even harder against his form.

She doubled over, in effort to get away from him, shaking her head and trying to rip out of his grasp as he laughed and doubled over with her, jerking the front of her robe open and greedily reaching inside, gripping hard at one of her breasts. "Stop it! Let go!" She cried louder now, pulling harder as he laughed and panted in her ear. He glanced over his shoulder at the tanned man, who was continuously watching the scene in front of him.

"Hey, Kakuzu, you want a side? The bitch looks like she likes it rough." He laughed loudly as she screeched and twisted in his grasp, losing her footing on the slick mats and falling to her knees. Instead of letting her go though he fell with her, grabbing her by the shoulder and flipping her over, pressing her hard into the floor as he straddled her panicked form. "Fine, I'll fuck the bitch myself." He sneered as he ripped open the bottom of her kimono, gripping at her thigh and pulling holes in her fishnet. She was desperately trying to back up and buck him off.

"No! Get off me!" She begged first, then started to demand.

"Shut up, bitch! It's you're job, you should be use to fucking strangers by now!" He slammed her head to the floor and she yelped, feeling his hand grip down on her panties and start to pull.

"I said, NO!" This time she palm heeled him to the nose, causing him to cry out and jerk backwards, covering his face with a hand. Blood poured out of his nostrils, spilling down his chin and into his mouth. She got up, scrambling for the door. He looked up at her and glared.

"You stupid cow! Get back here!" He started after her just as she slammed the door open and started through it. He grabbed her by the upper arm and she jerked backwards with a scream, but this time turned and punched him in the throat. He quickly let go of her causing her to stumble out into the hallway and fall against the opposite wall, panting and backing up into it as she watched him gag and cough, holding onto the strange stitches around his neck. He leaned heavily against the doorway, glowering viciously at her.

"Hidan," The other got up and started over as Hidan continued to watch the girl with narrowed eyes.

"Kakuzu, you need to see this." He glanced over his shoulder at the masked man coming towards him.

"What? A pathetic prostitute that you ruffed up for no good reason?" Kakuzu snorted and stopped in the doorway, next to Hidan, then glanced down at Hotaru. The other boys had started out of their rooms to see what was going on and Usagi was running down the hallway, gripping the same butcher's knife in her hand. Hotaru was backed up into the wall, watching Hidan with narrowed, calculating eyes, her knees drawn up and a hand brought across her half bare chest, a kunai gripped in her hand. She was panting heavily, her hair askew atop her head, but her look was one of determination and anger. Kakuzu recognized that look, and he recognized the tattoo on her upper arm. "Dammit."

Usagi ran over and threw herself in front of Hotaru, swiping the knife at them, causing them to step back into the room a pace. "Back off! What the HELL were you doing to her?" She barked, her eyes wild with the notion of protecting her friend. Hidan snorted and ran a hand through his hair, slicking it back again.

"Please, you nor your stupid bitch could hurt any of us. We're missing nins for Jashin's sake." Usagi wasn't listening though, she had turned and dropped to the floor, fussing over Hotaru, the knife now lying on the floor at her side. Hotaru never stopped glaring at Hidan. She pushed Usagi away lightly and got to her feet, pulling her kimono back onto her shoulder, then pointing the kunai at his throat.

"I don't want you here any longer. I want you out." She glanced to either side, at the rest of them as they stood and watched the show. "All of you. I want you out." Hidan grinned, stepping forward and letting the tip of her blade slide against his skin, his chin lifted to give it better access.

"When you can actually hurt me, we'll leave." She glared and regripped the handle to the blade, but Usagi got up and grabbed her arm.

"That's enough, Hidan." They glanced to the left to see the black haired man standing there, his hat removed to reveal a very effeminate face. Hidan snorted again, but stepped back and looked to the floor, muttering. Hotaru put the kunai at her side and turned towards the man that seemed to be in charge of the rabble.

"I want you out." He shook his head calmly.

"Itachi, there's something you should see on the girl." Kakuzu interrupted, but the man glared up at him with bloody eyes. Slowly he looked back to Hotaru and Usagi.

"She's right, I think you all should leave. You've given us enough trouble." Usagi stepped forward, still intent on protecting the smaller girl.

"That's not possible. We will continue to stay here. But, you will experience no problems like this again. I promise." His voice never broke even-again. Hotaru shook her head, but the taller, masked man quickly stepped forward and ripped her right sleeve down again, exposing her breast once more.

"Hey! I said back off!" Hotaru spun on him, jabbing the kunai as Usagi came at him with the knife. He caught one in either hand.

"Itachi, look at her arm, dammit!" Itachi glanced at Hotaru who glanced at him, daring him to make a move towards them.

He saw the tip of the tattoo peeking from the lowered hem of her robe though. His eyes widened a little, then he stepped back a step, hissing something. Hotaru glanced at her arm, slowly putting two and two together. She jerked her head back towards him, ripping from Kakuzu's grasp and pressing Usagi into the wall. Usagi let fear run across her soft features as she glanced at the men on all sides of them and wondered what had suddenly driven Hotaru into her own protection mode.

"She's a spy! Fucking anbu trash! I knew they'd get us here!" The blonde one spat loudly, stomping a foot as he did.

"You should've let me kill her when I had the goddamn chance!" Hidan growled, glaring at all of them as Hotaru let her eyes flit between each person that spoke. Itachi continued to stare at her, as if sizing her up, and she forced herself to steel against his gaze.


	7. Moving On

_~~**~~Now, I spotted a fatal flaw with this story and the farther I went along editing it the more I realized I couldn't change it or would have to change the whole story. For some reason, though Hotaru should recognize Itachi right off the bat without his hat on, she doesn't. If she does, she never speaks of it. In a few pieces she speaks to Itachi and of Itachi like she knows exactly who she is, so I suppose she DOES know who he is, is just choosing to ignore it. Just over look it^^; Sorry for the inconvenience, everyone.~~**~~_

"Moving On"

"I'm not an anbu." She spoke the words through gritted teeth, keeping her arm extended and pressed over Usagi's stomach, half her body in front of the taller girl's.

"People don't get those tattoos for decorations. It is against country law." The little red headed boy spoke up in a calm voice of his own, stepping in front of the blonde. Hotaru glanced from him back to Itachi, knowing he was the one who would most likely give the attack command.

"I took the exam, passed, got my tattoo, and left. Things came up to keep me from becoming one." She gripped down on the kunai in her free hand at her side.

"What? Spreadin' your legs just too much fun to resist?" Hidan snorted, but Kakuzu hit him upside the back of his head again. Hotaru snarled at him.

"THINGS came up. All you need to know is that I'm NOT in the anbu." She looked back at Itachi and the tall blue man behind him. The tallest man of the group, he seemed like the strongest too, but the look on his face right now was anything, but strong. He was looking at Usagi with a slightly pained look, as though he was torn on what to do. Hotaru even thought she saw something like betrayal lurking beneath his eyes.

"Usagi's never been trained in anything. She's just a normal girl." Hotaru assured the tall man, and everyone else, noticing their eyes straying to Usagi every now and then. Itachi had been silent the entire time. Finally, after a long moment of tension, he turned.

"Dinner will be ready by seven still. No one is to lay a hand on the girls without their express permission." The blue man stepped to the side and followed Itachi back into their room. The others went along their way also, one by one or two by two. Finally the girls were alone in the hallway and Hotaru let herself relax. She let Usagi up off the wall and turned to look at her, pulling her kimono up over her shoulders again, trying to keep it at least partially closed like she normally did.

They started towards the kitchen quietly together, holding hands and looking at the floor, then Usagi stopped and turned to face her. Hotaru looked up at her and squeezed her hand comfortingly. "We'll be fine." She promised, but Usagi slowly shook her head, letting out another long sigh.

"What do we tell the boys when, and if, they stop by?" With that she started into her safe zone; the kitchen. Hotaru watched her go, nipping at her lower lip as she thought about it, because she hadn't before. Most of their friends were anbus...or shinobies. This was going to be difficult to hide.

But, why hide these men? Why not rat the group out? Let the boys protect them and help them? The men had shown her no reason to hide them...But, yet again, that black haired man and blue skinned man had sort've protected them. She ran a hand over her face and walked into her bedroom to fix her kimono into some state resembling normal before finishing her tea rounds.

It was difficult to summon up the courage to go into the next room, and the strength to be as polite as she had been trying to be before. But, she lit the lantern and knelt in front of the door on the left side of the hallway, taking another cleansing deep breath. Three of them had set up camp on the left side of the hallway, only the blonde and the masked man were on the right side. But, thankfully, they were all in the opposite hallway to hers and Usagi's rooms. She closed her eyes and knocked, wondering what tiny hell was waiting for her on the other side of this door and who she would open it to face.

"Excuse me, I brought you some tea." She waited patiently for an answer. This time she got more of an answer from Tobi's room across the hall than from the room she knocked on.

"Yay! More tea! Tobi loves tea!"

"She's not talking to you, baka! You still HAVE your tea. Get back over here!"

"Excuse me, I'm coming in..." Hotaru smiled to herself as she slid the door open and bowed her head, then got up and walked inside, kneeling to shut the door behind herself again. When she turned around and looked she saw she was in the room of the blue fishy man and the commanding black haired boy. She hoped they wouldn't have much to say to her. She forced a smile and walked to the table, where both of them were sitting across from each other, apparently having been talking. She avoided looking at either of them.

"Look, Itachi, she brought your favorite snack." The big man pointed a large blue finger at the dango she sat out on the table. His voice rumbled it was so deep. Hotaru got a strange feeling she had met Itachi in a past life time, and she knew she knew that name from some where; but it escaped her whenever she tried to think of it. The black haired boy said nothing, rather sat silently. "She's such a cute little girl, she'd make a good house wife some day." Kisame laughed, Hotaru was pretty sure she could feel his laughter vibrating through her. And she figured he was only saying that to get on her good side so he could get closer to Usagi; like she would let that happen at all.

She faked a blush though and set his cup in front of him, "My Onee-san would be a better one. But, I thank you for the compliment, sir." She turned and set the other cup in front of the other, stoic boy. This boy disturbed her, honestly. The blue one chuckled at her remark.

"Well then, what's your onee-san's name?" He wondered and she bit back on a bitter remark this time. She closed her eyes, then glanced up at him and smiled.

"Her name is Usagi, Sir." She offered and backed away from the table. She bowed once more, "Please tell me if there's anything else I can do for you, gentlemen. Do not hesitate to call." With that she got up, knelt, opened the door, walked through, knelt, and shut it again, then ran down the hall to the kitchen.


	8. First and Second Impressions

"First and Second Impressions"

She came to the last room and lit the lantern with a sigh. The lanterns were a way for them to tell which room was occupied at the moment and it helped them remember whose room was whose, each talisman baring the different name of each room. She knelt and knocked on the door, closing her eyes to silence the rush of blood in her ears as she waited on an answer from within. She knew who was in this room, but the thing that bothered her now was, she didn't know how to feel about these two. She had had so little interaction with them that she didn't know if they were nicer, like the orange masked man and the fish man, or if they were cruel like the silver haired man.

There was silence for a moment, "Come in. Make it quick." She nodded and came in. The room had been dimmed down, someone's cloak thrown over the window, and only a single candle lit for light. The redheaded boy was sitting at the table, working with thread and something that looked like a tiny corpse thrown over his lap; he didn't bother to look up at her. She wondered where the last man was, but said nothing as she sat the tea up and green tea cakes.

"I've brought you some tea." She offered quietly, then backed up and bowed once more. "Please tell me if there's anything else I can do to make you more comfortable, Sir. Don't hesitate to ask." He glanced up at her, then frowned.

"I noticed you and your friend earlier, you both look like you would make beautiful dolls." She smiled and faked another blush, looking down at the floor still and hearing his comment from earlier ring through her mind. His voice was so much older than his appearance.

"You're too kind." She mumbled lightly, not sure how to feel about him yet. Though, as he stitched at what looked like a young child over his knee, she wasn't complimented so much as creeped out.

"So...I see you retain a little of what you were taught as a ninja. That lying on your back hasn't taken it all away yet." Her eyes lit with an angry glint as he made the off handed comment in that same, bored tone. He failed to look up from the doll thrown over his knee. "But, I wonder, do you remember how to do anything beyond what the youngest of children know how to do?" He was trying to egg her into attacking him, she was no fool, but if he wasn't careful she'd give him his wish.

"There is no use of you if you don't." He said this as he turned the doll over and admired his handiwork, then flipped it back over and went back to stitching. Hotaru focused hard on the doll too, clenching her fists at her side and trying not to let him get to her. "Well? Have you drowned your voice in cum or can you still speak?" She jerked her eyes back to his own, glaring viciously now.

"You're a fiend and a fool." With that she got up and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind herself as he smirked and gave a soft laugh.

She walked into the kitchen and slammed the door behind herself, glaring as she walked over and grabbed a white ribbon made of strong cloth. She jerked her kimono sleeves back, tying them like a maid would, and snatched the bandanna off the counter that Usagi had laid out for her. Her friend turned and glanced at her, able to feel the anger leaking off of her as she jerked the knot to the bandanna tight.

She grabbed a knife and threw a hunk of beef on the bamboo cutting board set up on the island, then began hacking into it. Usagi watched quietly for a moment, leaning back against the counter and biting at the edge of her spatula. "Would you like to talk about it, dear?" She lifted a brow and waited again, knowing she would talk on her own time. After getting nothing but the angry sticatto of the knife slamming up and down on the board, thudded out by the meat only every now and then, she turned back to her rice and began to fluff it.

"That stupid redheaded one! Saying I was worth nothing if I no longer knew my teachings any more! Baka!" She slammed the knife down particularly hard and Usagi turned around again.

"But, you do know your teachings still, love. He shouldn't have gotten to you so badly, he's so small and childish; apparently in more than looks." Usagi giggled lightly, turning back to her rice and the other pot on the stove.

"No! He's a bastard! I want you to watch out for him, Onee-san." She looked up and pointed the bloody knife in Usagi's direction, but the taller girl didn't turn to look at her, only smiled. "I'm serious! I think he has a damned CORPSE in his back room. You know me, so you of all people should know that looks are beyond deceiving." She looked back at the meat, starting to calm a little, starting to think a little more rationally.

"Please, I highly doubt he could've snuck something like that in here." Hotaru sighed and stopped her hands, closing her eyes and letting herself relax as she listened to her friend give everyone the benefit of the doubt, even a missing nin that belonged to a group that had invaded their girou and threatened to attack them.

"Well...I need you to know, I've lost track of one of them. His roommate was missing, so I want you to keep an eye out for him. Don't let your guard down." Usagi nodded halfheartedly as she stirred and fluffed and hummed lightly. Hotaru shook her head and carried the meat over to the stove, abandoning the knife on the counter behind her.


	9. Scented Out

"Scented Out"

The kitchen was beginning to smell heavily of spices as dinner continued to cook in a big pot on the stove. Hotaru had busied herself with making dessert, and had lost herself in it completely. Baking had always made things easier for her to handle. Usagi was cleaning up the mess she and Hotaru had made preparing ingredients and was washing already used dishes, and getting down more dishes for their guests. She continued to hum as she worked and Hotaru piped in every now and then, singing random verses quietly to herself, or humming in harmony with her.

Usagi turned from the sink and collided with someone tall and solid. She cried out, dropping the bowl in her hand and letting it shatter on the floor. Hotaru looked up quickly, throwing a pairing knife she had sitting next to her on the counter. The person caught it easily, turning to face her with a slow grin as Usagi quickly knelt to the floor and began gathering up pieces of ceramic. "We did not mean to startle her...It just smelt good..." Hotaru slowly left her station to walk over to Usagi, her eyes never leaving the glowing yellow orbs staring at her.

It was the man she hadn't been able to place earlier, the tall one with the venus fly trap on his shoulders. Now she got to look at his body too. He was cloaked like the others, but rather good looking, with muscles coiling and rippling through what little of his body she could see. His hair was shaggy and bright green to match the plant housing him. His body was halved down the middle, half black with small white dots on it, and the other half solid white, his nails painted black.

She pulled her eyes away from him, kneeling to the floor and helping Usagi collect the pieces. He knelt down too, scraping the sides of his hands across the floor to sweep the smaller more jagged pieces into a pile. "Ah! Don't do that, you'll cut yourself!" Usagi gently stopped his hands and he glanced up at her, then nodded and pulled his hands back, noticing finer pieces of ceramic were stuck to his skin, making it prickle. Hotaru sighed with a small shake of her head.

"Come here, you need to wash those off before they get embedded into your skin." She placed a gentle hand on Usagi's back as she rose to her feet and took him by the wrist. She led him over to the sink and turned on the water, sticking his hands under one at a time and carefully cleaning them. He was looking down at both of them, his eyes flicking back and forth between the two of them, as if he couldn't decide who to look at first.

"You smell better than the food...We notice..." She glanced up at his slow hiss of a voice, watching him smile a little wider, showing her very sharp teeth.

"How sweet but, you must just be smelling the desserts all over Hotaru." Usagi had gotten up and trashed the broken dish and was giggling as she stirred the pot on the stove near them.

"No, we smell you...We want to taste you." This hiss was deeper and more raspy, making Hotaru look up at him in some surprise. She realized that he only spoke with one half at a time. She was talking to the black side right now, she presumed, guessing it would be the darker and more evil of the two. She looked down and started to dry his hands for him.

"Well, you can't do that. You'll just have to wait and eat dinner if you're going to be tasting anything." Usagi seemed oblivious and giggled again as she shuffled across the kitchen for something. Hotaru dropped the cloth to the counter, then walked back over to her station and started with the desserts again. The man continued to watch after them both, remaining standing where Hotaru had left him.

"Where were you, if we can ask. Did you go explore the place?" Usagi paused to look at him with a curious smile, but he shook his head.

"Your garden...It called to us." Usagi made the small "oh" face, then smiled and began to look through a cupboard as Hotaru nodded slowly; it made sense that a plant man would be called out to the garden with the plants. "It is...beautiful...We should like to stay there." Hotaru made a small laugh and glanced up at him.

"If you're comfortable out there you can. What, do you not like your redheaded bitch of a room mate?" Usagi shot her a glare, but he slowly walked over to her and carefully placed a white hand on the tilted his head a little as he regarded her with that same grin.

"Do you not like Sasori-kun?" The lighter voice wondered and she shook her head, looking back at her desserts.

"That bastard...If he stays here I'm going to tear your little friend's head off." She snarled and he gave a laugh, making her glance up at him.

"We shall help...What did he do? Did he want you as a doll...?" The black side grinned and put his hand on the counter top, she shrugged.

"He said we would make good dolls, yes." The man laughed again, this time a little louder, both voices combining to do so.

"We won't let him. We will taste you before he can." This made Hotaru stop and look at him fully and made Usagi turn around to look at them both.

"Umm...Sir...why don't you go sit down for a while? Dinner should be ready soon." Usagi gently tried to shoo him out, he turned to her and nodded, then glanced back at Hotaru.

"We will see you at dinner then." And with that he melted into the floor soundlessly. The girls looked at each other, then Usagi shook her head.

"And here I was thinking he was going to be nice too. He's absolutely mad." She muttered and stirred the pot on the stove.

"I think I want you to sleep in my room tonight, Usa-chan." Hotaru muttered and Usagi giggled, but seriously gave it some thought.


	10. Failure

"Failure"

Hotaru sat down in her room and closed her eyes, shutting out the world and the night that blanketed it. She opened her eyes again and walked over to the corner of her room, a folding screen covering the back corner from the rest of the area. She moved one side of it and slid behind it, a large, mahogany chest staring up at her from its spot against the wall. She knelt in front of the box and lifted the corner of the mat it was on, pulling out a small key and sliding it into the over-sized padlock. When she opened the box a white face stared emptily up at her, it's black and red markings stark against the bleached features. She reached inside with trembling fingers, picking up the mask in one hand and lifting it off the bed of black cloth it had been resting on for she didn't know how long.

She sank to the floor all the way now, pulling the animal's face out of the box, red strings falling over and tangling on her fingers as she held it over her lap. Her free fingers slid over the narrowed eye holes, then ran down the rounded cheek bones and over the bottom of the short muzzle, touching the smoothly raised line that created lips for the creature. She set it aside finally and rose a little, dipping into the chest once more. This time she pulled out the black cloth, and silver pieces to go with it. Dragging the sturdy, but light material out she let it fall across her partially bare lap, gripping onto it with her fists.

Standing she untied her obi and let her kimono fall to the floor. Stepping out of her stockings she slid a black suit over her body in place of them. Easing the silver vest on and pulling the dulled katanas onto her arms, she tugged on gloves and finally bent down to retreave the mask. Pulling her hair pin out and tugging her bun down, she let her long hair cascade over her shoulders and down her back. The mask felt heavy as it rested on the side of her head, the red string standing out against her curls, tiny silver bells attached to their tasseled ends.

She looked down into the box and saw only a few things left. Reaching inside she ran her now gloved fingers over tattered scrolls and gleaming weapons. Kunais, sinbons, shuriken, and a few paper bombs. There was a rather large katana in its scabbard on the bottom of the box too. She reached in and pulled it out, sliding it over her shoulder and securing the strap between her breasts. The glint of metal caught her eye again, this time peeking from beneath a handkerchief she had in there, but she turned and ignored it. Walking from behind the screen she smiled softly to herself, in effort to keep from crying, as she looked at herself in the full bodied mirror hanging low on the wall across from her.

Her saddened reflection stared back at her, the black and silver outfit glaring in contrast to her pale skin. Her tattoo was brightly visible now, there for anyone and everyone to see. She pulled the mask down over her face, part to feel it again and complete the outfit, and part to hide her face from herself. She blinked, her lashes hitting the smooth cut edges of the eye holes, her lips resting against the animal's own. Slowly she pulled the sword out of the scabbard on her back, it gleamed in the dim lighting, the soft "shing" of metal ringing through the room; though the blade was as dull as the ones on her arms.

She slid into fighting stance, holding the sword across her chest with both hands, the white face of a leopard staring back at her, red and black leopard spots twirling up one brow and to the edge of the mask, then starting beneath the opposite eye and spinning to the bottom edge of the mask. Now tears did fall out of her eyes. She had meant something at one point. She had been someone to fear. _"You know I've got kids that argue with me and say you're a legend their parents made up?"_

The door slid open behind her and she spun, ripping the mask to the side of her head and pointing the tip of the blade at the person coming in, her eyes wide with something between fear and anger. Usagi looked up and gasped, then laughed softly and bowed her head as Hotaru relaxed and dropped the sword to her side. "Sorry, sorry, I didn't realize you were umm...having a moment..." Usagi started to back out of the room, but Hotaru waved a limp hand in her direction.

"Never mind it all, come in, come in, Nee-san." She sighed and looked at herself in the mirror, taking a step towards it, the tip of her blade dragging across the tatami mat. Usagi came in and shut the door behind herself, holding two cups of tea.

"So...you put it back on...Why?" She sat down at the little table Hotaru had set up in the front back corner, beneath the high window. Putting the cups down she pushed the potted plum stem aside, its stark red blossoms letting lose a few petals. "Sorry about that, honey." She brushed the leaves off, but Hotaru shook her head.

"It's fine, I just forgot to water it." She slid the sword into the scabbard on her back and turned to face Usagi, who smiled up at her. "Does it look as stupid as I feel?" She wondered halfheartedly. Usagi continued to smile, then shook her head and took a sip of her tea.

"It still looks as beautiful on you as any kimono would. I'm sure you put all other kunoichi anbu to shame in it." She giggled and Hotaru gave a light one, turning and glancing at herself in the mirror again. She reached out and put a hand on the corner of the mirror's frame, leaning on it as her other hand rest on her hip and she stared herself down.

"I just...Them being here like this...talking about the anbu and asking me about it...It just made me want to see it for myself. It made me want to remind myself that I really DID almost make it in...I really could of been one of the elite...You know?" She glanced at Usagi, who nodded slowly, as if she did know. She sipped at her tea again and Hotaru looked back at her reflection.

She reached out with her free hand and gripped the other side of the mirror's frame, now holding onto it, as if gripping onto this image of herself; afraid to let go of it again. "Kashi was so proud of me...He was scared, but proud. It was what he always wanted for me." She smiled lightly, almost forgetting her friend was in the room watching her. "We all could've still been together...Doing everything together...And I could be his pride and joy still..." She blinked and released the mirror's frame violently, as if it had burned her.

She stepped away quickly, spinning on her heel and storming over to the box, ripping off the mask and hurling it to the matted floor. She started to strip down with violent jerks and pulls on the almost new outfit, angry tears spilling out of her eyes. "Now I just feel like some fucking failure when I put it on." She grumbled nastily through tears, snarling at the mask on the floor.

Usagi watched quietly, once more knowing that she just needed to wait for the right moment to ask her questions. "You aren't, dear...You know you don't have to stay where you are." Usagi reached out a gentle hand, watching Hotaru throw the garments back into the chest, hurling the sword and mask atop them, then slamming the lid closed. She sunk to her knees, her hands resting on top of the lid, and stopped for a moment.

"I know." Then she shook her head and swiped her eyes clean with her arm. "Listen, I've already told you that you didn't have to do for me what you did. I've already told you I don't like you being here for this time in my life. You can leave whenever you want, I'm not going to stop you." She grabbed the thick kimono off the floor, jerking it back over her shoulders and almost slamming it shut over her body, jerking the obi into a knot at the front.

"Oh, Hotaru-chan, you know I'm not going to leave you. I love you and everyone else does too. We're all just waiting on you to love yourself again." Hotaru came back over and sat heavily on the cushion across from Usagi's. She stared at the steam rising out of the cup on the table. There was a moment of silence between them, then Usagi laid her hand on the table, holding it palm up, waiting for Hotaru.

She slowly slid her hand into her friend's and Usagi smiled, closing her fingers around the smaller hand. "You can't let one man decide your destiny for you. Whether you want to hear it or not, he's probably not coming back...So all this effort to make him notice you is going to go to waste. You're throwing everything away in effort to make him angry and to make him come back...Hotaru-chan, you can't throw your life away because he threw HIS away." Now Hotaru broke down. She dropped her head onto the table and started to sob, balling her free hand into a fist and hitting the table slowly, over and over again.

"I hate you, Onee-san." She whimpered, her words echoing against the wood. Usagi smiled patiently and reached out, stroking her hair back from her face and behind her ears.

"I know you do, honey, I know you do. That's what I'm here for."


	11. Baishunpu

_~~**~~Okay, so there's a bit of a time jump here. This was just a piece I apparently scribbled down for the fun of it, but never really thought about where it goes in terms of the time-line of the story, so I did my best in placing it. Forigve^^; Oh, and, "baishunpu" means "whore" in a very formal way of japanese speaking. Also, "Kakigori" is basically just a fine shaved ice...its just a snow cone really.~~**~~_

"Baishunpu"

Usagi smiled kindly and thanked the grocer for the food, then stepped out of the store. She was supposed to meet up with Hotaru at the shrine, they were going to pray for domestic happiness together, then head home. Hotaru had said she was going to see if Naruto was home, but Usagi knew where she was really going. She knew Hotaru would head to the monument baring her father's name and beg his forgiveness for the way she was leading her life; she would probably run into Kakashi there too. She herself still had some time to kill before she was to go to the shrine, so she figured she'd stop in the bookstore and see if they had anything in stock that she had yet to read.

As she walked along the road people glanced at her and murmured behind their hands. She was use to it, she knew what the town called her behind her back. She knew what she was. She kept her head held high and bit the inside of her lip, fighting to keep the placid smile on her face that she usually had on. She had done this to herself, she had gone and joined Hotaru in degrading herself...she had no one to blame for these murmuring idiots other than herself. That had yet to stop it from hurting though.

Crying greeted her ears soon enough. She glanced around, thinking that maybe a child was crying to its mother because it couldn't have a piece of candy or such. Instead, she saw a little boy sitting against a fence with his scuffed knees drawn up and a fist covering one eye as he sobbed. She walked over and paused, gently reaching out to brush a hand through his tousled blonde hair. He flinched and cried out, quickly looking up at her with wide, teary eyes, and an open mouth, his lip busted and bleeding.

She softened her features and knelt down in front of him, gently placing her hands on her knees and giving her kindest of smiles. "What happened, honey? Are you alright?" He whimpered, then shook his head and started to cry again. "Oh now, don't cry...I'm sure whatever it is can be fixed." She gently gathered the little boy into her arms and pulled him against her chest, hugging him softly. He sobbed harder, wrapping his little arms around her and burying his face in her chest.

She stroked his hair lightly, placing a cool hand against the back of his heated neck. "Calm down, calm down...Come now, you can't cry too much, you'll lose your soul." She looked down at the sunshine colored head buried in her breasts and smiled again, noticing he was slowing his tears. Hotaru had told her that every time she cried, apparently her father had told her that when she cried, and Kakashi continued saying it to her when he had taken her in.

Finally the little boy sniffled and looked up at her, wiping his face with the back of his hand. She giggled and let go of him, reaching into her purse and pulling out a handkerchief. "Come on, blow your nose." She held it to his nose and he blew it then she folded the cloth and took to wiping his dirty cheeks and dabbing the blood off his lip. "Now, do you want to talk about it?" He nodded slowly and she smiled, putting the handkerchief back into her purse.

"I-I was playin' wit-with everyone an-an they-!" His breath started to hitch again and he let out a little cry, hugging her again. She smiled and patiently waited for him to calm down once more, then pulled back and stroked matted curls off his sweaty forehead.

"Did you fall, honey?" He nodded, wiping his nose on the back of his hand again. She got the handkerchief out and wiped it for him one more time, deciding to keep the little cloth out this time.

"They lau-laughed and left! They said I wa-was stupid!" His face scrunched in anger as he said the word. She glanced down and saw his little cardboard kunai bent and on the ground at his feet.

"Well, that can't be true! I'm looking at a very tough little ninja here!" She reached down and handed him the little toy and he took it, a little begrudgingly; looking at it like it was the spawn of the devil. "You can't blame anyone for what they said. It's not your fault and it's not your kunai's fault. They're just being immature little kids. You have to be better than them and not let their words get to you." She brushed his hair back again, licking a clean corner of the cloth and wiping dried blood off his chin.

He nodded slowly again and she squeezed his arms lightly, making him look back at her. "You have to train harder and work harder than any of them! You need to become the best ninja you can so that you can show them you're not stupid, that you're smarter than they are! And when they say something to you or make fun of you, you just smile at them and walk off, because YOU know that what they say isn't true. Because you're a good ninja and a smart little boy." He smiled and she did too, standing up and gently taking hold of his hand. "Now, would you like me to buy you some kakigori to make your lip feel better?" He beamed up at her and nodded quickly, making her giggle and nod too.

As they started off a woman came running over, a worried look on her face. "Kenshin! Kenshin, where have you been? Why didn't you come home with your brother and sister?" She scooped the little boy up and he beamed happily, hugging her. "What happened to your face? What have you been doing?" She touched his lower lip where it was bleeding, sounding scared. Usagi smiled gently.

"Don't worry, the amount of blood makes it look worse than it really is. It's just a small cut from where he fell." The woman looked around her son and stared hard at her.

"What were you doing with my son?" She demanded, but the little boy giggled and placed his hand on his mother's chest, his hand flattening over the cardboard kunai pressed against her.

"She was gonna buy me kakigori, Mama! She said I'm not stupid!" He beamed at Usagi who tilted her head and smiled back.

"That's right, honey. Just remember, you're a very good little ninja." The mother looked between the two of them, then glared at Usagi.

"I don't know what you were doing with my son, but you stay away from him! He doesn't need someone like you telling him what he is and what he isn't!" She spat, but Usagi never let her smile fade.

"I wasn't doing anything with him, M'amm. I found him crying against the fence over there, he had gotten hurt and his friends had called him names, so I was simply making him feel better." Usagi gestured to the fence, but the woman shook her head, people having stopped to look now.

"I don't care! You stay away from my son, you...you whore!" She whisked her son away then, turning and stomping through the crowd of people that were looking at Usagi, murmuring things behind their hands again.

"Mama, what's a whore?" Usagi looked at the ground, biting the inside of her cheek till it bled, fighting back the tears that burned in her eyes. She slowly turned and continued where she was headed, only, instead of going to the bookstore as planned, she took the long way around the village, and headed home. It was getting harder and harder to make herself go out any more; for reasons just like that. What had she done to herself?


	12. Can't Fix Stupid

_~~**~~Again another time warp. I think it's only a few days in since the boys have decided to bunker down. It couldn't be too far in because Hotaru is still referring to Hidan as "the silver haired bastard" lol But, it's been long enough that they've gotten comfortable tormenting Hotaru and hanging around Usagi~~**~~_

"Can't Fix Stupid"

Hotaru sighed lightly as she walked down the hallway, brushing loose strands of hair out of her eyes and behind her ear. That silver haired bastard was calling out for her again, probably board and wanting someone to pick on. They seemed to avoid calling on or picking on Usagi, almost like they were afraid they'd make her cry. But, they had no hard time messing with Hotaru. She got no sleep what-so-ever last night because a few of them decided they wanted to sit up and drink and pick on her while she kept their sake cups filled. She had to restrain herself not to hit one of them or get as drunk as they were; either one might of made things more bearable for her.

She came to Hidan's door and slid it open, refusing to show them any sort of courtesy that she had shown them before when they were trying to keep up the facade of being an inn. They knew what she was and they knew where they were staying. If they insisted on the two of them waiting on them hand and foot then they would get it with every bit of venom she had in her body.

Kakuzu looked up at her from his place at the small table near the back window. They had it open and she could smell the fresh air that spilt in alongside of the sunshine lighting the place. "Odd, neither of you strike me as an open window sort've guy." She muttered more to herself than him as she knelt at what had become her place at the table.

"SHUT. UP. Gods, are you stupid or something?" She glanced over to the futon behind Kakuzu's thick, brown body. Hidan was burrowed beneath the covers with a hand over his eyes and a tortured expression on his face. Hotaru looked back to Kakuzu with a small smirk playing in the corners of her red lips.

"The fresh air is good for him." The man muttered beneath his cloth mask, looking back down at his scroll and taking to writing again. She had discovered, in the short few days they had been here, that Kakuzu was almost like the group's book keeper, and was very good with figures and very fond of the money those figures represented.

"Uh-huh..." She laughed softly, picking up the tray she had brought with her and carrying it over to Hidan. He must've barked one too many insults at the brown skinned man this morning, so he had opened the window, letting the sunshine torture his partner through his hangover. Hotaru sighed lightly, brushing hair behind her ear one more time before dipping a cloth into a bowl of steaming water Usagi had heated for her. She gently reached out and tried to nudge Hidan's arm away, but he snarled at her.

She sat back, huffing and throwing her hands in her lap with an upset expression taking over her face. "Seriously? If you want me to make this thing go away then you're going to have to cooperate, you stupid ass." He moved his arm enough to show her one violet colored eye and glare.

"I didn't ASK you to make it go away. I asked you to BRING me the stuff to make it go away. Stupid bitch." He moved his arm over his eye again and she glared, biting at the inside of her cheek to keep herself from striking him.

"Well, when you asked me to bring the stuff I assumed that meant you wanted me to USE the stuff too, cause I highly doubt Kakuzu's going to do it for you." She jammed a finger behind herself at Kakuzu's back, barking at Hidan now. Hidan jolted up, leaning on one arm and glaring at her.

"Stop fucking yelling at me! You're making it worse! Just fucking leave!" She gripped down on the cloth, which had gone cold against her thigh, and screwed up her face in anger again.

"You shouldn't of fucking drank all night! You're worse than a goddamn child!" He snorted and dropped back to the futon, putting his arm over his face one more time.

"You shouldn't be so upset, it was making you look good." That was the last straw.

"You fucking ass!" She threw the cloth on the floor and grabbed the bowl of steaming water, standing up and turning it upside down over him, dumping every last drop on his face. He cried out and shot up one more time, his skin starting to turn red from the scalding as she glowered over him. Kakuzu spun around to see what had happened just as she spun to leave. "I hope that fucking hangover tears your ugly head apart!" She started to storm off when a hand gripped her ankle, jerking her to the floor face first. She screeched and spun around as Hidan started to drag her backwards, snarling at her.

"You fat WHORE!" She started to kick him in the face, but Kakuzu slammed her leg to the floor with a painful force, causing her to suck in a quick breath through her teeth. He kept his hand on her calf and lunged over her towards Hidan, snatching at his wrist where he was holding her other leg. He snapped Hidan's wrist before he could pull his hand from her leg in time, making the man cry out in pain and jerk his now wounded hand back into his chest. "What the fucking hell, Geezer?" Hidan turned his anger on Kakuzu now, but the taller man was glowering at him with those unblinking eyes of his.

"Lay down." Hotaru slowly sat up, her leg starting to ache from being twisted like it was and pressed so hard into the tatami mats. Hidan snorted again.

"Like hell I am! Why should I listen to you?" He turned his face away and Kakuzu lunged forward again, putting all of his weight on Hotaru's leg one more time, making her groan softly and hold onto her thigh. He grabbed Hidan by the jaw and forced him to look at him.

"I'll gouge your eyes out again, is why." They regarded each other for a long time before Hidan ripped his face away from Kakuzu's grasp and did as told, propping himself up on one arm with a huff and looking at the floor sulkily. Kakuzu studied him for a moment before turning back to Hotaru, moving his hand and releasing her leg. She popped up almost immediately, gripping onto her ankle where his hand had been; she would be bruised by tonight. "He'll let you take care of him now. I'm not doing it." Kakuzu turned back to the table and his scroll and, almost as if on cue, Hidan winced and took hold of the side of his head, taking in a sharp breath of his own.

Hotaru drew her leg into herself, still holding onto her ankle as she watched Hidan fall back to the mat in pain, his bad hand draped across his chest as he held his forehead with his good hand and shut his eyes tightly. "He's such an ass, why would I want to?" With that she got up and walked out of the room, straining not to limp from the ache in her leg.

When she explained to Usagi what happened she got up and excused herself from Kisame's company, walking Hotaru into the kitchen gently. She got down some home made salves, Usagi's parents had owned the medical shop in town and trained her to be a healer like them; she would've been the best at her craft, had she not stopped for Hotaru. She bent down at Hotaru's feet, pushing her kimono open even farther and making her pull off her fishnet stockings.

Hotaru sat the stockings on the counter as Usagi brushed the salve around her ankle smoothly, a strong lavender and mint smell coming off of it. Hotaru sighed, toying with one of her now lose garters on her thigh as Usagi capped up the salve and pulled out some gauze. She took some over to the sink, washing left over salve off her fingers and dipping the gauze underneath the cool water before coming back over to her.

Hotaru took in a breath as the wet gauze was wrapped around her ankle, overlaying the salve and making the smell a little more pungent. "So, do you think I should do it?" Hotaru looked down at her friend, watching her wrap dry gauze around the wet gauze and hook it securly with a little metal clip. Usagi sighed, standing up and taking her supplies back to the first aid cabinet.

"Well, honey, I would go back there and hit both of them for upsetting and hurting you...but, I can't do that." She turned back to Hotaru, smiling gently as Hotaru laughed quietly.

"That doesn't help my situation, Usa-chan." Usagi giggled and walked over to the sink, running hot water one more time and getting down a bowl.

"What do YOU think you should do, baby girl?" She wondered over her shoulder, filling the bowl with hot water as she did.

"Well, I mean...I hate that he's back there in agony...But, he's just such an ass." Hotaru huffed again, hitting the counter with her fist, listening to it thud softly due to the stockings she had anxiously wrapped around her fist. Usagi came back over to her, handing her the bowl of steaming water and going to her supply cabinet again.

"Well then, I think your compassionate heart just answered your question for you." She came back with a small bottle, uncorking it and dropping dried slivers of something weird smelling into the water. Hotaru sniffed the now odd smelling steam, frowning and pulling her head back as she looked at Usagi.

"Did you put that stuff in the last bowl?" Usagi nodded and smiled, corking the bottle up and taking it back to its place in the cabinet.

"I did. It's dried worm salts. It's supposed to be very calming to the nerves and cleansing to the soul and skin." Hotaru snickered.

"Well, he'll be feeling very cleansed if they do work because I dumped the entire last bowl in his face." Usagi giggled too, turning back to Hotaru and shaking her head.

"I know, what a waste of my medicine too!" She hit Hotaru in the arm lightly before leading her out of the room, tugging her kimono up on her shoulder absentmindedly as she did. "Now, go do what your compassion tells you to. Take care of someone you hate just because you hate to see others suffer. And hit him if you need to, I'm sure Kakuzu-san won't care." Usagi branched off from her in the hallway, kissing her cheek before she did, and walked into the dining room where Kisame still sat waiting on her. Hotaru sighed heavily, cursing her sometimes bleeding heart, and walking down the hall to Hidan's room again.


	13. Bleeding Heart

_~~**~~Yes, the song Hotaru sings in this story is the same as in the Puppies story. It's basically her song lol Any time she sings, she basically sings this one. It's called "Run" and is done by "Snow Patrol" if you'd like to look it up and listen to it while reading. It really is a beautiful song. And no, Hotaru doesn't have feelings for Hidan. She just finds herself mothering him like she usually does Naruto, but she doesn't even realize she's doing it lol~~**~~_

"Foolish Bleeding Heart"

She slid the door back in its track, humming quietly to herself as she stepped into the, now noisy, room and shut the door softly. Hidan jerked his head towards her and so did Kakuzu, both having been arguing about who chased her out and who was going to make his hangover go away. Hidan let the surprise show on his countanence as she knelt in front of him again and put her fingertips to his chest, a motion for him to lie back again. "I thought I chased you away, whore." He scoughed at her as she picked up the cloth off the floor and dipped it into the new water, the old, empty bowl still lying upside down in a puddle near the edge of his mat.

"I'm only here because I pity you. Now shut up or I'll dump the new water somewhere more painful." She wrung out the cloth over the bowl, Kakuzu shaking his head and looking back at his scroll for a final time, heaving a sigh behind the cloth that covered his mouth. Hidan put an arm behind his head, his bad arm still resting across his chest.

Hotaru draped the cloth over the edge of the bowl and grabbed the bottle of salve Usagi had given her earlier. She started to hum again as Hidan drummed his fingers behind his head impatiently, looking around a little awkwardly. She dipped two fingers into the speckled white paste and bent over his face, "I'll sing it one, last time for you...Then we really have to go..." Hidan's eyes followed her fingers as she smoothed the paste over his forehead in gentle motions, almost massaging it. "You've been the only thing that's right...in a life time..." She was almost whispering the song, like she felt the need to sing it, but was afraid to disturb either man.

She sat back and wiped her fingers off on the cloth before dipping it in the bowl one more time, ringing it out, then folding it over a few times. "And I can bare-ly look at you, but every sing-le time I do...I now we'll make it anywhere, away from here..." She leaned over him one more time, draping the cloth over his eyes and forehead, her eyes hazy, as if she were in her own world. She sat back and put more salve on her fingers, this time smoothing it in wider and thicker circles over his bare chest. "Light up, light up...as if you ha-ve a choice...even if you cannot he-ar my voice...I'll be right beside you, dear..." She took hold of his bad wrist, making him take in a breath as she slowly pulled it across his chest and towards her.

She paused her singing to look down at him, her eyes easily softening now that his were hidden. "It's gonna hurt a little, but I'm going to wrap it up for you. This salve should make that pain go away too." Her voice was quiet again, he almost had to strain to hear it. He didn't say anything, though she could feel his muscles tensing beneath her fingertips, as if he had something to say to her and just didn't want to. She smeared more salve over his wrist, wincing a little at the feel of his bones aiming to break through his flesh. She sighed, closing her eyes and forcing herself to keep her composure; she was no healer for sure. Slowly opening her eyes she sunk herself back into her song, its serene and melancholy tune calming her. "Louder, louder...and we'll run fo-r our lives...I can hardly speak, I under-stand...why you can't waste your voice to say..."

She wrapped some gauze around his wrist, careful not to pull too hard; he groaned quietly all the same. "To think I might not see those eyes...makes it so hard not to cry..." She set his wrist down on his stomach, to avoid putting it in the salve that slathered his chest. "And as we say our lo-ng goodbyes, I nearly do...Light up, light up...as if you ha-ve a choice...even if you cannot he-ar my voice...I'll be right beside you, dear..." With that she sat back and looked over her handy work, sighing lightly as she put her hands in her lap once again. Hidan was breathing softly now, his chest rising in slow and measured falls. She felt a small smile tug at her lips as she thought of Naruto and how she use to take care of him after he would get hurt training or so. She missed her little Naruto...out here she rarely got to see him; it was so different from seeing him almost every day like she use to.

"Slower, slower...we don't have ti-me for that...all I want is to find an eas-ier way...to get out of our little heads..." Absentmindedly she bent over Hidan again, pushing hair back from his forehead and smoothing it back on his head. "Have heart, my dear...we're bound to be-e afraid...even if it's just or a few days...making up for all this mess..." She caught herself and turned bright red, realizing this wasn't her Naruto-kun she was taking care of, rather a strange man that often mocked her and attempted to hit her, if he hadn't managed to already. She stood up and gathered her things, keeping her head down to avoid meeting Kakuzu's eyes, afraid he got the wrong idea if he saw what she was doing, and quickly walked to the door. "I'll send Usagi to check on him in a little while." She murmured hurriedly and ducked out of the room, shutting the door quickly, but quietly behind herself.


	14. Nikoru Comes to Stay

"Nikoru Comes to Stay"

As Hotaru hurried down the hall she heard the front door slide open. "Ugh...if it's another one of their little friend's I'm going to kick them out." She came around the corner and saw a girl bent over pulling off her shoes, leaning against the wall to do so. She frowned at the top of the bright blonde head, trying to figure out why a girl would be coming in here. She wasn't a ninja, that much was obvious...was she from a neighboring village? Tiredly Hotaru sat the stuff down on the floor and rubbed the back of her neck, her free hand resting heavily on her hip. "Can I help you with something, babe?" The girl tugged her last shoe off and looked up at Hotaru, her bright blue eyes sparkling in the sunlight that filled the genkan from the windows above the door.

"Hotaru-chaaaaan!" Hotaru opened her eyes and saw the thin girl flying at her, a huge beam consuming her face. She jumped and wrapped her legs around Hotaru's waist, hugging her neck tightly as Hotaru fell backwards to the floor, hitting her head on the polished wood.

"Owww..." Hotaru winced, leaning up on one arm and rubbing the back of her head as the girl leaned up and giggled at her. She frowned and got ready to say something when a familiar scent washed over her like a tidal wave. Summer strawberries and spring flowers. Hotaru opened her eyes, looking up at the beaming girl that was still sitting on her stomach. "Nikoru-chan!" The girl giggled and nodded brightly, strands of her thin blonde hair falling into her pale face.

"I missed you so much, Hotaru-chan!" Hotaru sat up a little more and the girl hugged her tightly once again, this time Hotaru returning the favor.

"I missed you too, babe! Where in the world did you go?" The girls pulled apart and Nikoru got up off her friend, helping her to her feet.

"Daddy needed me to go make maps with him, remember? He's getting so old now." The slightly taller girl shrugged and smiled casually. "But, I got board and missed you too much! So, I came back to stay with you and help you with the place!" She gestured brightly to the neatly kept entry way, but Hotaru shook her head.

"Nikoru, I can't let you do that. I have enough problems with Usagi being here as it is, I don't want to drag you down with me too." Nikoru giggled cutely and adjusted the hem of Hotaru's kimono over her breasts, stepping back to admire the piece of silk with a hand on Hotaru's shoulder.

"I want one! Can you help me into one real quick? I'm so jealous!" She looked back at Hotaru, her baby pink lips forming another bright smile as she brushed off what Hotaru said casually. Hotaru sighed and took her by her thin shoulders, shaking her a little.

"Focus. I'm being very serious here. I don't want you doing this. At all. I don't want you hurt." Nikoru's face fell a little and she sighed, the air around her changing with her attitude, becoming serious like Hotaru wanted her to.

"Hotaru-chan, I honestly came back because I heard about what you were doing. Not that I didn't know before I left, but it reached me all the way out in Tea Country. There are rumors that Konoha's Fire Leopard has been reduced to a whore. It was scary, I didn't want you to be alone and have strange people knocking on your door night and day and threatening you...It all sounded like some bad hentai just waiting to happen. I felt like I needed to help you and be with you again." She admitted, but Hotaru shook her head and waved her words off dismissively.

"That rumor's been going around since I started doing this. I wanted it to. It's how I'm going to get Sasuke back." A strange light flashed in her eye and Nikoru huffed tiredly.

"Just let me stay. I'm going to whether you like it or not, so let me stay willingly." Hotaru regarded her for a moment, thinking of the dangerous men they were housing right now and how she had barely been sleeping at night trying to protect Usagi as it was. She glanced off to the side, biting at her lower lip slowly.

"Can you maybe come back in a month or so?" Nikoru laughed loudly and Hotaru laughed softly too, looking at their bare feet.

"What in the world?" Nikoru looked at her like she had lost her mind and Hotaru sighed, glancing around quickly before leaning up and putting her lips to Nikoru's ear.

"The Akatsuki are here...They've been staying here for a few days in hiding and they don't seem to be leaving any time soon...I'm already freaking out about protecting Usagi-chan...I don't want to put you in that kind of danger too." She stepped back, her hand still on Nikoru's arm as she gauged her friend's reaction.

"Who are they again?" Nikoru giggled and brushed her hand through her hair as Hotaru rolled her eyes and slumped a little before huffing one more time.

"They're a group of S-class missing nins. Gods, you really AREN'T a ninja, are you?" Nikoru giggled again and Hotaru shook her head, smiling.

"But, if they're here, why haven't you told one of the boys?" Nikoru glanced around too, but Hotaru shook her head.

"I don't want to get any of the boys involved in something this over their heads and I don't want anyone getting hurt. I'm just hoping they'll go away and it'll be like it never happened." Hotaru waved a hand through the air tiredly, touching her forehead, as if she had thought about this so many times it hurt.

Nikoru nodded slowly, "Well then, dress me in a kimono." She dropped her arms to her sides with a beam and Hotaru groaned, rolling her eyes one more time.

"Nikoru...!" She whined, but Nikoru shook her head, smiling casually.

"I wasn't going to leave before, but now that I know you might ACTUALLY be in danger and are doing that THING where you're not letting people help you because you can't swallow your damned pride for a moment, I'm going to stay even harder." She poked Hotaru in the chest, sticking her finger through the ring she wore around her throat like, she use to do, giggling as she did.

"Fine. But, you keep your head down and do EXACTLY as Usagi and I tell you to do and you don't do anything to upset them, kay? They're complete asses, but a few of them are alright. But, I want you to do NOTHING to upset them, got it?" Nikoru nodded quickly and Hotaru got the feeling she was only nodding to get to her kimono faster. Hotaru sighed and took her hand, "Did you bring anything?" She started to lead her towards the dining room, figuring it'd be nice to let Usagi in on what was going on.

Nikoru shook her head as she was led along, "Nope, nothing but my name and good looks." They giggled together at that.

"Well, don't worry, we've got plenty here for you. Come on, let's say hey to Usagi before anything. Now, heads up, she's talking to one of them...he's a little odd looking, but he's one of the nicer ones; don't let that fool you though." Hotaru opened the door to the dining room as Nikoru brushed her off.


	15. Sister Act

"Sister Act"

"Usa-chan, look who came to stay with us for a while." Both Kisame and Usagi turned around with some surprise and fear on their faces. Nikoru only beamed though, waving wildly as Hotaru let go of her hand and let her launch herself at the seated Usagi.

"Usa-chaaaan! I missed you so much! I couldn't stand to be away from you all so I came back to help you with the girou!" She giggled, kneeling beside Usagi and letting her go so the stunned girl could look her over and slowly process this information.

After a moment Usagi smiled and laughed, hugging Nikoru tightly, "Oh, my baby girl! I missed you too! What in the world made you want to come back to-" She stopped herself from saying what she wanted to, but Hotaru felt the sting of the unconscious barb anyways. She had never wanted to drag her friends into the little fit she was pitching...yet they joined anyways. Just because they were her friends.

Nikoru beamed brightly, pushing bangs out of her eyes offhandedly. "I just wanted to come home. Daddy's job is so boring and it takes me to all these new and lonely places, you know?" Usagi nodded slowly, glancing at the patient Kisame out the corner of her eye, looking back to Nikoru, then doing a double take on Kisame.

"Oh...Nikoru-chan, this is Kisame-san, he's been staying with us with a few of his friends for the past few days." Nikoru brightly looked over at the blue man, who was tall even sitting down. Hotaru held her breath, knowing Nikoru forgot to filter sometimes and spoke what was on her mind instead, but she merely smiled and extended her hand.

"Kisame-san, it's so nice to meet you! I hope you're enjoying your stay with my sisters." He seemed hesitant, honestly, but he smiled and took her hand after a second, nodding his head as his sharp teeth glinted in the light.

"You're sisters you say? How many sisters have you not told me about, Usagi-chan?" He chuckled, sending a rumbling vibration up Nikoru's arm before letting her go and making her giggle. Usagi blushed and waved him off, giggling behind her hand.

"Oh, Kisame-san! The girls are my only sisters, there are no more." Hotaru nodded, figuring it would be best if she said they were all sisters too; it might keep everyone else from getting upset that she had told another about them being here.

"Your mother must be proud of all you, such good housewives you'd all make." He chuckled again, looking at all of them as he did, each girl giggling and glancing away.

"Kisame-san, you're too sweet!" Nikoru beamed and hit his arm lightly as it rest on the table.

"Kisame-san loves to make us blush, Nikoru-chan. Now, come with me so we can get you into some clean clothing." Hotaru stepped up and smiled gently as Nikoru dropped her head back and looked at her upside down, grinning.

"Kay!" She lifted her head and looked back at Kisame, who was sipping at some tea Usagi had evidently just poured for him. "It was wonderful meeting you, Kisame-san. I'll see you at dinner!" She winked and he laughed again, nodding his head as he watched the thin little girl get up and hug Usagi one more time before taking Hotaru's hand and skipping out of the room with her.

He looked back to the smiling Usagi, still smiling himself. "She's cute. Perhaps her sunny disposition will make some of the others smile as well." Usagi nodded at this comment, sipping at her own tea.

"She's a little naive but, I get the feeling if the others get to know her they'll smile. I just hope they're as gentle with her as they are me, she breaks easily." He waved it off with another grin and she smiled too, nodding that her fears were probably false.

When Hotaru got Nikoru finally dressed and the kimono situated on her just to her liking, which was hard considering how much she fidgeted, she let her out of her room. Glancing down the hall Hotaru remembered that she needed to go check on Hidan but, didn't want to go anywhere near him after her little episode earlier. "Listen, Nikoru, you want to do me a favor?" She paused the girl in the hallway and Nikoru turned to her, smiling brightly.

"Sure, Hotaru-chan, what is it?" Hotaru led the girl to the kitchen where she got her a fresh bowl of water and some more gauze.

"One of the men back there is nursing a hangover and a broken wrist. I'm supposed to go check on him but, he and I?" She gestured between Nikoru and herself with a sarcastically arched brow, "We don't get along so well. Do you think you could go change his dressing on his wrist and warm the cloth up on his head?" She didn't like sending Nikoru into the lions' den so early in the game, Hidan was one of the one's she wanted to keep her as far away from as possible, but she was NOT going in there herself.

"Poor guy, why don't y'all get along?" Nikoru turned and started out of the room with her, cradeling the bowl to her chest as she walked slow enough not to spill anything.

"Pfft, he's just an ass. He's loud and rude and annoying. And he prays to some weird god that apparently "gave" him some weird jutsu that keeps him from dying. Like, he feels pain, but whatever is hurt heals eventually and he keeps on going; therefore he thinks HE'S a god of some kind." Hotaru shrugged and rolled her eyes again as Nikoru listened with rapt attention, finding jutsus fascinating considering she had none of her own. Hotaru had taught her a few fight moves, but she had never been able to teach her jutsus or anything. "That's how he got the broken wrist. He was fucking with me and his partner shattered it." Nikoru blinked in some surprise, furrowing her brow with confused worry.

"What's his partner like and which one should I be more careful around?" They were halfway down the hall now.

"Kakuzu, his partner, is very ominous and threatening but, there's no real reason to be scared of him. He looks creepy but, he seems to be able to keep himself in check very well, no matter how hard you egg him on. But, Hidan, snaps easily. Look at him the wrong way and he'll shout at you and try to hit you. I don't like sending you in there, but I can't go in there again or I might kill the sonva' bitch."

Hotaru stopped and so did Nikoru, who turned to face her a little nervously. "Just smile, keep up with the sister act, and do like I told you. Hidan should be asleep and Kakuzu should pay you very little mind at all. He keeps to himself really." She kissed the girl's cheek and gestured to the room, then turned and started off. Nikoru turned and looked at the door to the room, took a slow and steady breath, and stepped towards it. She knocked lightly before sliding it open, surprised at the amount of sunlight in the room.


	16. Falling for the Beast

"Falling for the Beast"

A man looked up at her, his skin rich brown like the earth. His eyes were lidless and strange, solid green pupils stared at her out of sickly red surroundings. His head was covered other than his eyes and she wondered what he was thinking as he watched her. She glanced over to see a man lying on a futon behind him, a bandaged wrist resting on his stomach and cloth over his head, just like Hotaru had told her. She shut the door behind herself and started towards the futon silently, but the large, brown skinned man quickly shot a hand out, stopping her in her tracks. "Who are you?" His voice was deep and threatening, his eyes looked enraged as they bore holes into her flesh.

She looked down, biting at her lower lip and holding the bowl hard against her chest. "I-I'm Nikoru-chan. I'm Hotaru and Usagi's sister...Hotaru-chan said that he," She glanced up and nodded her head towards the sleeping Hidan, then looked back at the steaming bowl. "needed some medical attention. She's cleaning right now, so I offered to do it for her." With that she just stood and waited on him.

Not being a ninja herself it was difficult to understand their over sized prides and strange ways of acting but, she did understand that most of them were like animals. Just show that you're submissive and mean them no harm and they'll generally let their guard down after while. She was right. After a moment Kakuzu set his arm down and turned back to the books and scrolls he had out on the table he was sitting at, and took to ignoring her. She took this as a sign that everything was alright and slowly started forward again.

She knelt by the bare chested man, her eyes running helplessly over his muscles before she could stop them. She set the bowl down, moving the old one aside, and lightly pulled the cloth off his forehead. The tension was so thick in the room she was almost afraid to breathe. She kept thinking the beast of a man that sat just behind her, so close their toes were brushing each other, was going to turn around and hit her hard enough to take off her head. She sighed one more time, trying to keep air in her lungs, and dunked the cloth in the water, letting it burn her fingers as she did.

Nikoru could smell the tell-tale scent of one of Usagi's salves and spotted the jar sitting near the man's head. She leaned over him again, gently brushing the cloth over his skin to wipe away the old salve's remnants that hadn't sunk into his skin already. He groaned softly, slowly rolling his head from side to side before opening his eyes a bit. She was surprised at the striking lilac color of his irises. He blinked slowly, looking up at her and furrowing his brow as she let a slow smile take over her face.

"Don't move too much, it'll make the headache worse. Just lie still, I'll put the cloth back soon." She murmured softly, dabbing at his forehead again, hearing him let out a light breath and watching his eyes close again as he fell back into the arms of sleep. "Poor thing...you must've drank some of Hotaru's good sake...it'll knock you on your feet the next day if you aren't careful." She giggled to herself, sitting back and dunking the cloth in the water again, letting it float as she grabbed the bottle of salve. She spoke from experience. She had gotten into Hotaru's sake stash one day when she was upset and Hotaru wasn't home. She drank a whole bottle by herself and didn't get up for another day and a half.

His eyes opened one more time as she brushed the salve over his forehead. He looked confused again as he looked up at her, but she just smiled. "You're alright, I promise, you'll feel better by tonight." She smoothed his hair back as she said this, murring softly to him. He sighed again, turning his head to the side before drifting off for another time. She sat back when he did, wringing out the cloth and wiping down his chest slowly. She wasn't going to lie, she was all too happy to run the thin, soft piece of fabric over each and every one of his defined muscles, testing their strength and solidity as she did. She started to hum quietly, unaware Kakuzu was watching her with one eye over his shoulder.

She dropped the cloth in the bowl one more time, rubbing fresh salve on the breadth of his chest, massaging away tight spots with her fingers as she did. She wasn't a healer like Usagi. She wasn't a fighter like Hotaru. But, she was a better healer than Hotaru and a better fighter than Usagi. When she was done she gently took hold of his wounded wrist, trying to unwrap the tight gauze as easily as she could. He took in a sharp breath and his face twisted with some pain as the clip Hotaru had put on the gauze came undone and the bone setting tightness gave sharper than she had intended.

He drove his head back into the pillow he was resting on, his back arching slightly off the floor, making her turn to look at him with pained eyes of her own. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry...I'm almost done, I promise." She looked back to his wound, his body settling on the floor again as she slowly unwound the soft gauze and held his hand in the air.

Nikoru wiped his wrist down slower and more gently than she had anything else so far. She started humming again, trying to calm herself and him as she brushed the fuzzy cloth over the protruding bones. "It'll heal nicely...it's not such a bad wound..." She glanced down at him, unsure if he was asleep again or if he was just keeping his eyes closed against the pain she was inflicting on him. "I know it hurts though...I'll leave you alone soon, I promise." She looked back to her work, pausing to brush her fingers over his knuckles and admire how large his hand was. Her song picked back up, her free hand reaching up to brush over his long fingers absentmindedly. She caught herself and quickly looked down, scooping more salve onto her fingers and beginning to massage it into his flesh once again.

When she was done she picked the gauze back up and started to wrap it around him one more time. "This is going to hurt a little...I'm sorry..." She murmured again, glancing at his face before looking back to his hand, pulling the gauze a bit tighter. It had to be bone setting tight again, but she hated to hurt him like that; he was such a good patient too. She grimaced, but pulled the gauze as tight as it would go, watching him suck in another breath and twist from the pain. "I'm almost done...just a second longer..." She cooed at him, leaning over the hurt hand and clipping the gauze quickly as she hummed again.

When she was finally done she sat his hand down on his stomach again and turned to look at him one more time, leaning over his face and brushing her fingers through his hair smoothly. He opened his eyes one more time, blinking slowly at her before she brushed her fingers over his eyes to close them, then lay the fresh cloth over them lightly. She stood up, gathering the old bowl of cold water and leaving the still warm bowl behind, alongside of the salve. She started out of the room, brushing hair behind her ear where it had fallen out of the up do Hotaru had put it in. "I'll be back to check on him again soon, Kakuzu-san." She nodded her head towards Kakuzu, who failed to look up at her from his work, and walked out of the room on silent feet.


	17. Gradual Meetings

"Gradual Meetings"

Nikoru had to search a little for either of the girls, but when she came to the courtyard door she spotted Hotaru through it. "Hotaru-chan!" She called out happily, waving at her as the other girl turned and smiled, waving her over. She stepped out onto the polished walkway and down the steps, onto some of the smooth cobblestones that made a path over to a small koi pond in the center of everything. That was when Nikoru noticed the strange looking man, well, she supposed it was a man, standing next to Hotaru on the other side of the pond. Hotaru beamed at her as she walked over.

"So, did you see what an ass he was? Was he too mean? Did Kakuzu bitch slap him for you? Do -I- need to go back there and bitch slap him for you?" Nikoru giggled as Hotaru stream lined her questions excitedly, a hint of concern hiding in her eyes. She stepped up beside her friend and shook her head, her eyes gleaming brightly in the sunshine as Hotaru took her hand, their fingers interlacing smoothly from years of habit.

"No, no, he was asleep. Kakuzu was really silent, doing that whole silent and deadly ninja thing y'all do sometimes. I don't know why you say the other is so mean, he looked so sweet while he was sleeping...he was really handsome too..." Nikoru trailed off, looking at her reflection in the pond as she did, wondering what he had thought of her when he had looked at her those few times.

Hotaru arched her brow, "You did go into the right room, right? The one with the brown skinned guy with the weird eyes and the ugly head gear and the silver haired, half naked man on the futon, right?" Nikoru looked back to her at her descriptions of the men and giggled, nodding her head.

"Yup, that room. You know, I forgot how pretty this place is." She was looking around the courtyard now, gazing at all the flowers and the large trees, it was like a mini forest out here.

"Yes...Hotaru-chan has made quite the sanctuary..." She glanced up at hearing the strange voice, looking once more to the odd man that was standing almost behind Hotaru now. Hotaru blinked and blushed lightly, turning to look between the two of them.

"I'm sorry, Zetsu, how rude of me. This is Nikoru-chan, she's my sister and will be staying here with us for a while." Nikoru extended her hand to the strange man, his black hand reaching out and engulfing hers.

"She is not your sister, Hotaru-chan...We can smell it." The black side hissed at them, smirking at Hotaru and showing Nikoru fangs that looked sharper than Kisame's had. She pulled her hand away, a little afraid, but Hotaru just laughed and ran a hand through her falling apart hair do.

"Neh...Just don't tell the others, please...I think it'd be safer for her if they didn't know." He gave a small nod and turned back to the fish, his white side watching them with an intent and playful glint in his eye.

"We will not tell...She smells like the flowers..." The white side smiled and knelt down, brushing a tiny pink flower with his fingers as it rested near his feet. Hotaru squeezed Nikoru's hand, watching Zetsu and smiling with soft eyes Nikoru didn't usually see on her.

"Look, Zetsu, that one's got a clover in its mouth!" Hotaru bent over, beaming as she pointed to one of the fish that had snatched a clover from the surface of the water, it must've been carried in by the wind, and was now carrying it around proudly. Zetsu smiled and nodded, Nikoru giggled.

"It must think it's real lucky. I wonder if the others want some." She looked at the clovers growing around the stones surrounding the pond at their feet and knelt down, starting to pick them. Hotaru giggled too, kneeling alongside her and beginning to help her, each picking one for every fish. Zetsu watched them with a content look on his face, his hands folded over his knees as he basically sat back and listened to them talk and giggle.

Nikoru saw why she was so comfortable around him, especially in this setting. He was very calming to the nerves, almost like looking at a tree or flowering plant, you just felt like it was easier to breathe around him. But, glancing at his ever unblinking and unchanging left side, she supposed it could also be very painful to be around him too.

Usagi saw the girls coming inside as she was coming back from the kitchen with a small snack for her and Kisame. Itachi had joined them too, but was sitting rather silently at the table, merely listening to them rather than commenting on any thing. Nikoru looked up and beamed, holding up a bouquet of flowers she had picked. "Look, Usa-chan! Hotaru, Zetsu, and I picked them! They smell great!" She skipped over, holding out the flowers for Usagi to smell. She sniffed them lightly, smiling as she did and nodding her head.

"They smell wonderful girls, you should put them in water and bring them into the dining room in here." Nikoru nodded and ran off before Hotaru could follow after her or Usagi could say anything more. Hotaru glanced after her, then turned back to Usagi, picking up one of the mochi off the plate she was holding.

"Oooh, thank Usagi Nee-san." Usagi laughed softly, both of them starting towards the dining room again.

"They weren't for you but, I guess since you seem to be intent on following me, I'll have to share." She bumped Hotaru with her hip, making the girl giggle as she opened the door for them. Kisame glanced up, apparently having been talking to Itachi.

"Ahh, Usagi-chan, I see you brought entertainment as well as a snack." He grinned and Hotaru laughed, walking over to hit him on the shoulder playfully.

"If Kisame-san's not careful I might have to show him what I do to entertain people." Usagi blushed as Hotaru said this, waving at her to get her to be quiet, making her laugh as she sat on the other side of the table from her. "Usa-chan doesn't like it when I talk like that, she says it's dirty." Hotaru winked at Kisame and he laughed, drinking some more tea before looking back at the blushing Usagi, who was busying herself with situating her kimono on her lap.

"You shouldn't tease your sister then, she might punish you for it." Kisame laughed and Usagi nodded lightly.

"He's right, Hotaru-chan, I'll stop buying you sake." They all laughed, Itachi simply watching them as he held his tea cup in his hand boreddly. Hotaru leaned over, putting her hand on Kisame's thick arm, a sly look on her face as leaned up to whisper at him.

"Maybe Kisame-san should punish me. I'm sure he could devise many more fun ways to do so." She smirked as Kisame chuckled again, sitting back and patting his lap lightly.

"I would turn you over my knee and give you the spanking you apparently deserve." Both of them sat back and laughed loudly at this, Usagi huffing a bit sulkily and biting into a mochi. She knew Hotaru was only doing this to mess with her, she often tried to do it with Neji and Shikamaru, but neither were this receptive to her little game. She just loved miffing Usagi, but she did it all in good fun, Usagi knew.

"Look, Usagi Nee-san! They're so pretty!" Nikoru walked into the room with a beam, holding up the flowers, which she had put in a glass vase she had found in a cabinet. Usagi turned to look at her and smiled.

"Oh, they are lovely. You did a good job arranging them, Nikoru-chan. Bring them over." She gestured Nikoru over, happy for the distraction from Hotaru's mind game.

"Oh, Nikoru-chan, did you pick some flowers? That's quite the garden your sisters have out there." Kisame smiled at her, almost reminding her of a father; in that moment she saw why Usagi liked him so much.

"I did! Hotaru-chan and Zetsu-san did too. We thought they would look nice as a center piece." She sat down beside Usagi and let her touch up the arrangement before setting it in the middle of the table.

"Awww, now I can't see your faces!" Hotaru whined playfully, taking hold of the vase and setting it on the floor between her and Kisame. "There. We'll put it back when we're all done talking." She beamed and the girls giggled, Kisame chuckling as he sipped at his tea glanced over, seeing Itachi staring at her just like Kakuzu had, only he wasn't quite as scary when he did it.

Hotaru looked over to see what she was looking at, smirking as she cupped her face in her hand. "Nikoru-chan, sorry I didn't introduce you. I always forget he's here 'cause he just sulks in corners. This is Itachi-san." She gestured to Itachi, glancing at Nikoru as she did. "Sasuke-kun's got nothing on him when it comes to being angsty. Apparently he learned from the best." Hotaru smirked back at Itachi but, he ignored her, watching Nikoru with a partially upset look.

Nikoru beamed though and leaned across the table, extending her hand to him as she did. "Hi, Itachi-san! I'm Hotaru-chan and Usagi-chan's sister, it's great to meet you!" She giggled, but Itachi continued to regard her with those disdainful eyes. Eventually she pulled back, sulking into her seat a bit as she did. Usagi patted her back lightly.

"Hotaru-chan didn't tell you, honey, but Itachi doesn't like to chat very much. He's a bit like Gaara-kun." Nikoru shivered a little at the mention of that name and Hotaru looked away, instinctively touching her necklace as she did.

All Nikoru remembered about Gaara were his scary eyes and vicious words. She had few memories of him when he wasn't telling her to leave him alone or taking potshots at her beneath dull comments. She had even fewer memories of him treating Hotaru kindly. And her most distinctive memory of him was of what Hotaru called a "break down". She had heard Hotaru screaming one day as she passed by the Heroes memorial. Running over to help her and see what was wrong she had seen what she thought to be Gaara, but half of him was misshapen and deformed and he was talking in a strange voice.

He was hurting her, roaring things at her that Nikoru only partly understood. When Nikoru tried to stop him he almost hurt her, and all Hotaru could do was push her away and tell her that he didn't mean it, that he was just confused. She had cried so hard that night. She cried every time she remembered that scene. Because apparently it had happened alot.


	18. He's My Best Friend

"He's My Best Friend"

Someone walked into the room behind them and they all looked up. Deidara looked down at the blonde headed girl, lifting his visable brow and pausing in the doorway. Nikoru smiled lightly, turning and extending her hand to him, "Hi, I'm Nikoru-chan. I'm Hotaru-chan and Usagi-chan's sister." He rolled his eye at that, the sky blue orb lingering on the ceiling for a moment as he did.

"Great, there's another one of them. What, were your parents rabbits or something, un?" He continued walking over, sitting down on the other side of Usagi as Nikoru laughed.

"Nope, it's just us. You don't come from a large family...?" She paused, realizing she didn't know his name. Usagi handed him a pair of chopsticks and he took a mochi, starting to eat it calmly as he ignored her question about his family.

"Nikoru-chan, this is Deidara-kun, he likes art." Usagi offered the last bit of information in hopes of sparking a friendship. Nikoru beamed and leaned around her excitedly.

"Really? I like art too! What kind do you do?" She cradled her chin in her hand as she beamed at him.

"None of your damned business, un." Hotaru frowned over at him as Nikoru's eyes lost their gleam suddenly.

"Seriously, Deidara? I'll put fucking bows in your hair if you treat her badly." He glared at her, slamming his chopsticks on the table.

"Do it and I'll cut yours off!" He barked at her, Nikoru giggling happily now.

"Aww, now that she mentions it you'd make a beautiful woman. We could call you Dei-chan and everything." He turned his glare to her and Kisame chuckled again.

"Looks like she can be mean too, Deidara-kun." Nikoru beamed at Kisame and turned back to Deidara, winking at him. He huffed and stood up,

"Screw you all, un." With that he sulked out of the room. Nikoru sat back a bit boredly, sad her new found "friend" had run off.

"Well, he's got his panties in a wad over nothing." Usagi popped her on the hand for the saying, but Hotaru laughed so hard she had to cover her mouth to keep from spitting her drink out.

"Sempai, Sempai! Look what Tobi did!" Nikoru glanced at the hallway as Hotaru did too, Usagi and Kisame beginning to talk happily to one another and ignoring the commotion in the hallway.

"Get away from me, Tobi!" They heard a slam, then nothing for a moment, then a tall, masked man bounced into the room. Nikoru's eyes widened in surprise when she realized he was the one that had spoken so childishly before.

"Usagi Nee-san! Sempai won't look at what Tobi did!" He whined, running over and falling to his knees in front of the turned around Nikoru and behind Usagi. Usagi turned to face him, smiling gently.

"Well, why don't you show us, Tobi-kun?" She smiled lightly, putting a gentle hand on his knee as he nodded quickly.

"Tobi colored a picture with the pencils Hotaru Nee-chan gave Tobi!" He held up a colorful little drawing of two stick figures, him and Deidara, holding hands in a field of flowers.

"Why do I have to be the baby sister? We're all the same age, you know?" Hotaru grumbled to herself, grabbing another mochi and stuffing it into her mouth as she was ignored.

Usagi giggled and smiled, "It's beautiful, Tobi-kun." She showed it to Hotaru, who laughed aloud, then showed it to Nikoru. Nikoru took hold of it and smiled, then looked up at Tobi.

"You did really good!" She beamed and handed him the piece of paper back where he folded it and tucked it into his robe, then looked back at her.

"Tobi's never seen you before!" He chirped happily and she giggled, covering her mouth with thin fingers.

"I'm Nikoru-chan, I'll be staying here for a while. I'm Hotaru-chan and Usagi-chan's sister." She offered her hand and he took it quickly with gloved hands of his own, wrapping both his hands around her single one.

"Tobi wishes he had sisters! We should be friends! You could color with Tobi!" She nodded brightly.

"I like to color. We'll be good friends, Tobi-kun." She promised and he gave a little cry of joy, shaking her hand happily before letting it go.

"Want some mochi, Tobi? Better get some before it's all gone." Hotaru held up the plate to him, wiggling it tauntingly. Nikoru turned back to the table as he wriggled between her and Kisame, sitting at the corner.

"Mochi! Mochi, mochi, mochi, mochi, mochi, mochi..." He sang happily, taking two of them before Hotaru set the plate down again. Nikoru beamed, looking at the crowded little table and at everyone talking and laughing happily. She didn't see why Hotaru said these men were so dangerous, they just seemed a little quirky and strange right now.

_~~**~~Hotaru makes a good point in this one that I feel the need to point out and elaborate on. All the girls are the same age. Though Nikoru-chan acts, by far, the youngest and most naive of the bunch, she is actually the oldest. Usagi is second oldest and Hotaru is youngest, though they are "technically" the same age, due to the fact that they are only separated by months. Also, since we're on the subject of the girls, Hotaru is the smallest out of all of them, standing at only 5 feet tall. Usagi is tallest, coming in at 5' 10'' something, and Nikoru is the middle child, coming in at 5' 5'' ~~**~~_


	19. Precious Angel

"Precious Angel"

After a moment Nikoru rose to her feet and excused herself, telling everyone she had to go to the restroom. She walked quietly down the hallway to the kitchen, getting a bowl of warm water and walking back down the hall to the first room she had gone into. When she slid open the door Kakuzu looked up at her one more time, looking ever vigilant and ever angry. It was so quiet down here compared to the dining room.

She smiled and shut the door behind herself, walking over and kneeling by the bed ridden man one more time, setting the bowl down by her thigh. She took to humming almost immediately, taking the cloth off his forehead again and pushing it into the scalding water, letting it sit for a moment before pulling it out and wiping at his forehead lightly. In truth she had been looking forward to being able to come back here and sit beside him again.

Hidan furrowed his brow, feeling something hot smoothing over his chest, leaving coldness in its wake. There was something smooth touching him too, like the soft touch of flesh against his own. It was weird, no one with skin that soft had touched him in a long time, gotten close to him even. He took in a breath, tasting strawberries and smelling minty flowers. Slowly he opened his eyes and groaned, letting his eyes rove over the room he thought he recalled falling asleep in. Something leaned over him, causing him to blink to get it to come into focus. It was a girl. He frowned, trying to read each feature on her, unsure if this was a dream or not.

She had a bright halo of blonde hair pulled atop her head, small strands falling to frame the angles of her face. Her skin was pale and milky, the sunlight almost making it glow. It looked smooth and taut, making him want to run his fingers along it. Her eyes were luminous hues of sky blue, the black lashes surrounding them only drawing them out more. She wore a lose kimono of soft, lilac purple, its sleeve falling down to reveal one rounded shoulder. It was rimmed in a thin strip of white with a thicker strip of yellow above that. The colors cast even more of a soft hue about her, making her serene and gentle looking.

Her baby pink lips formed a calm smile and she reached out, brushing thin fingers through his hair and down his cheek. "You're alright...go back to sleep, I'm almost done." Her voice was as soft as she looked, like the brush of cool velvet against your skin. He groaned again, nodding slowly and closing his eyes, letting the angel do as she wished. He had always known if he obeyed Jashin's laws long enough the old man would repay him.

"Praise Jashin..." He mumbled halfheartedly, falling back into sleep as he listened to her laugh quietly and felt her hand on his chest once again. Nikoru shook her head as she massaged the salve into his chest again and he fell back asleep.

"Kakuzu-san...who is Jashin?" She glanced over her shoulder at the man that still slightly intimidated her. He ignored her, still scratching away at a scroll, consulting all sorts of books as he did. She looked back to Hidan, dipping her hand into the water again before lightly taking up his wounded wrist. It seemed a little better, like the bones weren't protruding as much. But, that couldn't be...it shouldn't be healed for another few days. She started to unwrap it, Hidan twisting in his sleep once again as she cooed at him once more.

"It's his god." The voice almost shocked her into jumping and dropping Hidan's wrist. She froze and blinked, slowly turning to look at Kakuzu to make sure it was him that had spoken. He was still scratching away at the paper before him like he had said nothing. She turned to look back at Hidan with wide eyes still, beginning to wonder if she had imagined it.

She cleaned his wrist and slathered it down again, then wrapped it back up, leaning over and placing her lips to the gauze as she clipped it shut before she realized what she was doing. She pulled back, quickly checking to make sure Kakuzu had seen nothing, then looked down at Hidan one more time, setting his wrist on his stomach once again. That was when she noticed the necklace around his throat, dangling off the left side of his chest. She must've over looked it all day.

Slowly she reached out and picked it up, listening to the rosary-like beads clink against each other softly as she held up the pendant, rubbing her thumb over the odd symbol. She had never seen a symbol like that before. Ninjas were all about symbolism, she did know that, and growing up in one of the biggest ninja villages around she wondered why she had never caught sight of that one before. "The symbol of his religion." Again the voice scared her into almost jumping and jerking at the necklace, her hand quickly closing around it as she whipped around to face Kakuzu again.

She watched him write, frowning after a moment. "Are you talking to me?" It came out a bit more snappy than she had meant it to, but she was getting tired of thinking she was imagining this creepy voice. He set his pen down and turned to face her, she took that as a yes. "What do you have eyes in the back of your head or something?" She narrowed her own eyes at him and she thought he was smirking beneath the cloth he wore; maybe she just hoped he was.

"Or something." She huffed and turned back to Hidan, putting the necklace on his chest and sliding the pendant into his hurt hand. If it was the symbol of his religion, maybe it would make him more comfortable to hold it. She put the cloth over his eyes and sighed, gathering up the old bowl again and standing up, Kakuzu turning to watch her walk out of the room.

"Thank you for answering." She stepped out and shut the door behind herself, heading to the kitchen to dump the water and bowl into the sink. Maybe Hotaru or Usagi knew who Jashin was. Hotaru had mentioned earlier that Hidan prayed to some weird god, maybe she had more answers for her.


	20. Rude Awakenings

"Rude Awakenings"

The day wore on and afternoon eventually turned into evening. Hotaru and Usagi made dinner, Nikoru staying in the dining room to play little games with Tobi and talk to the others. Everyone came to join them eventually, all of them sitting around the table to a warm, traditional dinner.

Nikoru got to meet Sasori, who Deidara oddly, but cutely, called Danna. She could see the tension on Hotaru at the sight of the young boy, but figured she would ask her about it later instead of in front of everyone. If Hotaru had reason to glower and be short in her answers to someone, it generally meant that someone had done something to her, most likely something vicious if she couldn't take it in good stride after a while.

Kakuzu even came out of his room long enough to eat with them and talk to Itachi about "figures" he had been running over all day and other such business-like things. Even with everyone being there, dinner went unusually well, and pretty much without a hitch. Nikoru was having a blast with her new housemates, even if they were supposed to be S-class missing nins.

"Hey! Y'all started dinner and didn't bother to fucking call me?" Nikoru whipped around at the crass voice, wondering if there was someone else she had yet to meet. Kakuzu had left the table already, so had Sasori and Itachi. Deidara was getting ready to leave and Tobi was following him, talking about taking a bath with him. She gasped quietly as she saw Hidan standing in the doorway, frowning down at all of them. He had wiped his chest off and taken the gauze off his wrist, which apparently was doing just fine now.

"You had a fucking hangover, what else were we gonna do?" Hotaru barked back at him from her spot at the table, shaking her head and going back to her food; she was the slowest eater out of all of them.

"You should've fucking come and got me! If you had time to put that shit all over me like you did you had time to wake me up, goddammit!" He snapped back, but she only made a face, mocking him as he spoke.

"Meh, meh, meh, blah, blah, blah YOUR problems. It was that SHIT that got you up and running this fast, asshole." He snarled, starting to walk over, but pausing mid-step when he caught sight of Nikoru for the first time. She was turned to the side, looking up at him with some confusion and concern playing in her sky blue eyes. The pale purple of her kimono was broken by soft whisps of white that formed large chrysanthemums over her body. The top of her robe fell open like Hotaru's always did, revealing the milky strip of flesh between her breasts, falling just wide enough to show him the small rounds of each of her breasts.

The creamy yellow of her obi had a white string wrapped around it, the bow looping and folding behind her in such a large way that it showed off her thin form. The lilacs spilling from the left side of her platinum hair bounced against the milky round of her cheek bone where they had slipped slightly through the course of the day. Her candy pink lips pulled up into a gentle smile and he had to catch himself from smiling back. "You're real...!"

Usagi smiled at the romance of the comment, putting her hand to her lips and letting her cheeks tint pink. Kisame glanced down at her and she giggled, leaning up and whispering an explanation in his ear, hiding her mouth behind the sleeve of her kimono. He chuckled and nodded that he understood, leaning back up as she sat back and continued watching what felt like a romance movie. Hotaru scoughed, shaking her head and looking at her food, sinking her head into her hand heavily as she did.

Nikoru smiled and nodded, putting her own hand to her lip and giggling quietly as she hid her blush. "Of course I am." She glanced back up at him, "I'm the one who put the stuff on you. Sorry if it got in your way." He continued to stare at her in mute shock for a moment, then shook his head and regained himself, scoughing as gruffly as Hotaru did.

"How many of you are there, gods..." He grumbled, walking over and sitting in Itachi's place at the opposite head of the table. Nikoru turned back to the table, watching him fill a plate with the left over food.

"Just us, Hidan-san. We're sisters." Usagi smiled, pouring him some tea and handing him the glass. He almost snatched it, immediately starting to shovel food into his mouth without a care in the world. After a moment he snorted again, taking a swig of the hot tea without a second thought.

"Stupid whores...bet your mom was a whore too, wasn't she?" He smirked up at Hotaru as he said this and she cut her eyes at him.

"Piss off, Hidan, my mom was alot more of a saint than yours was, I'm sure." She stuck her tongue out at him and he barked a laugh, continuing to eat.

"I knew it, your mom couldn't keep her legs closed to save her life. It's why she had so many of you, she was a fucking dirty slut." Nikoru started to bite at her fingers, looking down at her lap as she listened to him continue to talk. Hotaru slammed her fist into the table, whipping her head around to face him fully now.

"You dick! Leave my fucking mother out of this!" He started to fill his plate again, pushing his cup forward for Usagi to fill one more time, which she did with a sigh.

"Fine then, what'd YOU do all day, whore?" He lifted his brow, as if truly interested in what she had done today.

"None of your damned business." Hotaru grumbled, turning her head away from him and clenching her fist on her lap. He grinned widely.

"Lemme translate that: "I fucked strangers all day and enjoyed every bit of it." The end. Right, bitch?" Hotaru got up and threw her chopsticks at him like they were sinbon, storming out of the room before looking to see if they had hit their mark. Hidan laughed again, one of her chopsticks lying in his lap, the other on the floor next to him. "You're so rusty you can't even hit me with chopsticks, stupid bitch!" She slammed the door on him and the room got quiet.

Usagi glanced over to see Nikoru looking confused and like she was about to cry. "Nikoru-chan...what's wrong, baby girl?" Usagi put a hand on her shoulder, gently tugging the sleeve of her kimono up while watching her face. Nikoru shook her head, aware that Hidan was watching her as he ate, like she was some kind of side show.

"Nothing...just disappointed." She murmured, rising to her feet with a small sniff. "I'm going to check on Hotaru-chan. I'll help you clean up later, Usa-chan." She turned and started out, biting at her lower lip in effort not to cry.


	21. PPPPoker Face

"Playing Games"

"Hey! Where yah goin'?" Nikoru paused, hearing an undertone in his voice that she hadn't heard yet. Slowly she turned to face him again, keeping her eyes on the floor so he wouldn't see that she was about to cry.

"I-I was going to check on Hotaru-chan." He waved her off though, rolling his eyes.

"Let the bitch sulk, she's just pissy 'cause I know what she is and treat her like what she is." Nikoru looked up at him, seeing he had already turned back to his food. She stood there for a moment longer, not sure if he wanted her to stay or go. He glanced over at her, pausing putting food in his mouth to turn to her once again. "You gonna stand there all day like an idiot or come back over here?" She let the surprise register across her face, but quickly shuffled back over to the table. Kisame and Usagi said nothing, rather watched in some surprise themselves.

Nikoru sat down quickly and Usagi poured her some tea to calm her nerves. "Hey, fish man, I'll play yer blue ass in a game of poker when I get done eatin'." He looked up at Kisame who grinned, nodding his head and holding up his glass.

"Alright, I'll see you to it. I'll just kick your ass again." He chuckled as Hidan shook his head and hurriedly finished off his last bite.

"Bullshit, I'm gonna wipe the floor with your sorry self." He sat back and pushed his plate away, pulling a deck of cards out of his robe and untying the string around them, starting to shuffel. "Go get the geezer, he'll bitch later if we don't give him a chance to win some more money." Kisame started to get up, but Usagi put a hand on his shoulder, standing up instead.

"I'll get him, Kisame-san, you stay here and start your game." She smiled lightly, gathering up dishes and starting out of the room.

"I'll help you, Usa-chan." Nikoru started to stack plates and get up, but Hidan slapped some cards down on the table in front of her, making her freeze.

"Nah, yer gonna play with us. Sit yer ass back down." She blinked, but nodded, setting the dishes down and picking up the cards in small hands. Usagi smiled and kissed the top of her head.

"Don't lose too much, honey, you're using our money." She giggled and Nikoru beamed up at her, giving her the thumbs up sign.

"I won't! Tell Hotaru-chan what's going on!" Usagi nodded and stepped out of the room, leaving her with the two men. Nikoru was a little scared, but at the same time she was glad to be getting this chance to get to know him. Maybe he wasn't so bad, maybe he was just in a mood because he had woken up from a day long hangover; she'd be pissy too if it were her.

Hotaru came back in the room, talking in hushed tones with Usagi. She looked a little upset, almost like Usagi had forced her into coming back, but she was trying to hide it from them. Hidan glanced up from his hand, "He-y, tha bitch's back!" He grinned and Hotru glanced over at him, holding up her hand and murmuring something behind her kimono sleeve to Usagi who giggled softly. "Oh stop hissing behind your hand and make yourself useful. Go get me some sake, whore." He waved her off, looking back to his hand as Kisame pulled a card off the deck, furrowing his brow deeply as he stared at his own hand.

Hotaru lifted her brows and put her hands on her hips, "You JUST got over a hangover, poor Nikoru-chan gave up half her fucking first day back to take care of you through it, and now you want ANOTHER one?" He failed to reply to her comment, watching Nikoru over his cards as she pulled a card off the deck herself, then looking back at his hand. "You really are stupid." Hotaru started to walk towards the table again, Usagi already kneeling next to Kisame once more and smiling as he showed her his hand and murmured to her about what his strategy was.

Hidan waved Hotaru off one more time, "When I want your advice I'll ask for it. Just go get the damned sake." Hotaru sat down across from Nikoru instead, making him look up with violent eyes as she folded her arms across her almost exposed chest.

"Get it yourself." She looked away from him boredly, watching his body tense up out the corner of her eye. She knew what that meant was coming, so she tensed herself. He dropped his cards and lunged across the table, moving to strike her with a snarl.

"Impudent bitch!" She moved and caught his wrist, growling back.

"Sexest pig!" He twisted his hand in her grasp, turning it down and grabbing hold of her own wrist, slamming her arm into the table, causing everything to rattle and Nikoru to jump in surprise.

"Hidan, let the girl go." Kisame put his own cards down, Usagi touching his arm lightly with fear in her eyes.

"Mind your own business, fish man!" Hidan glared at him as he and Hotaru basically arm wrestled. He turned back to Hotaru and she slapped him with her free hand, causing him to let go of her wrist and grab his cheek, staring at her in stunned surprise. She had fallen back as her hand snapped back at her when he released it and was now leaning on her hands, panting softly as she stared at him in anger. He snarled once more, feinting a lurch at her but, she sat up and did the same thing, refusing to back down.

Kakuzu walked in, seeing them standing off one more time and sighing heavily, walking over and slapping Hidan in the back of the head. Hidan glowered up at him but, the taller man frowned, moving to stand between him and Hotaru and turning his eyes towards Hotaru. She stared at him for a moment, wondering if he was going to try and hit her too, but he simply motioned with his thumb for her to move. "What if I wanted to play too?" She readjusted her kimono on her shoulders and pushed her hair behind her ears again. Kakuzu silently reiterated for her to move and she got up, starting around him and out of the room.

"Go get the sake like you're supposed to!" Hidan barked at her as she passed by and she hit him in the back of the head. He turned to grab her but she had dashed away already, grinning at having the last say so in the matter. Kakuzu sat down and Kisame dealt him in, the girls taking deep breaths as the air in the room settled once again.


	22. Wagers

_~~**~~ A few more words to add to your japanese repetoire lol "Okusan" is a formal way of saying "wife" and "danna" is an informal way of saying "husband"...Now we all see that Deidara really IS the token gay man of the group XD Why else would he call Sasori his "danna"?~~**~~_

"Wagers"

Kakuzu looked up at Nikoru as she tilted her head at her cards and made a cute face. "Why is she playing?" He looked between the other two and Nikoru looked up, touching her chest and looking between him and Usagi to see if he was indeed talking about her. Usagi nodded and Nikoru looked back to him, opening her mouth to speak.

"Because we needed a third." Kisame offered, looking up as he waited on the first move to be made. Kakuzu still didn't look satisfied.

"Because I want her to, Geezer. Now shut up and put what yer gonna in the pot." Hidan tossed a bill into the center of the table as Nikoru glanced over at him with a hidden smile and blush, looking back to her cards and biting her lip to hold back her beam as Usagi giggled again. Kakuzu sighed, but tossed a bill into the center of the table too, Kisame doing the same.

Nikoru patted herself down as they all looked at her, waiting on her to make her contribution. She sat and thought for a moment, "I don't have any money on me..." She murmured and Kakuzu threw his hand up impatiently, rolling his eyes and making her blush again. Hidan glared over at Kakuzu, then turned to look at her again.

"It isn't that hard, just put SOMETHING in the middle so we can start." He talked slowly, gesturing to the middle of the table like she was an idiotic child. The lilacs hanging in her hair batted at her face as she sat her cards down in her lap and bowed her head, suddenly feeling every bit as stupid as he was treating her. She reached up and touched them, then beamed and pulled the pin out of her hair, tossing it in the middle. "No one wants your fucking hair pin." Hidan pushed it back at her, but she shook her head with a grin.

"It can represent the money it's worth. Usagi-chan, how much is the pin worth?" She beamed over at Usagi who sighed and closed her eyes, touching her forehead lightly.

"Hotaru is NOT going to be happy you're betting her hair pin..." She muttered, but Nikoru shrugged.

"Just tell us how much it's worth." Kakuzu stared at the pin, as if summing it up in his head already.

"It's worth about sixty dollars." Kisame chuckled and Kakuzu shook his head, along with Hidan.

"Wasting so much damned money on a stupid ornament." Kakuzu grumbled, but nodded his head that he accepted the amount as Hotaru walked in the room with a tray full of cups and bottle of sake. She walked over to the table and sat down between Kisame and Nikoru, glancing at the pot as she handed everyone cups. She looked to Nikoru, seeing her grinning sheepishly with her hair hanging down around her throat.

"Nikoru...is that the hair pin I LOANED you in the pot right there?" She was pouring sake for everyone as she growled, glancing at Nikoru who nodded proudly.

"You'll get it back, it's just there to represent the money it's worth. Kakuzu-san's got it all figured out." She beamed and pointed to Kakuzu over her cards, who was studying his strategically.

"Fine...You owe me that money if you lose it though. Deal me in." She sipped at the sake she poured for herself, watching Usagi push hers away with a small smile. She had only brought the cup for her to be polite, she knew Usagi didn't like the drink. Nikoru nodded and beamed again, reaching for the cards, but Hidan caught her hand.

"Huh-uh, we've got enough players. You just sit there, doing what you're supposed to do, pouring the drinks and being quiet. I know it's hard for a bitch like you, but you gotta do it." She gave him a sour look as he released Nikoru's hand and sat back.

"Fine, I'll deal myself in." She sat up and reached for the deck too, but Hidan swatted at her hand. She slammed it on top of the cards instead, refusing to move it. "What's wrong, asshole? Afraid you'll get beat by the girl you hate?" She smirked at him, his upper lip drew back in a sneer.

"The day a whore beats me in anything is the day Jashin-sama calls me home." Hotaru looked back at Nikoru and over at Usagi with a mockingly shocked face.

"Oh-ho-ho, that's quite the statement." She turned back to him, "Fine then, on top of what I throw in the pot, I'll bet you that I'll beat you. If I win you serve me for a day and I take my winnings alongside it. If you win you get whatever I put in the pot and-" He grinned now, finishing for her.

"You admit that you're a fucking slut and do whatever I tell you without bitching for a day; or saying a damned word for that matter." She frowned, almost hesitant to take that bet, but nodded her head that she understood and sat back. "Alrighty then, take your cards and prepare for me to wipe the floor with your ass." He dealt her cards and she sighed, pulling her hair pin out of her hair too and tossing it in the pot, ruffling a hand through her hair as it fell around her face. Nikoru smiled and sniffed the air, turning towards Hotaru as she did.

"You smell so good, Hotaru-chan!" Hotaru giggled and blushed softly, Kisame nodding lightly to the side.

"You do, Hotaru-chan, I have to admit." Usagi hit his arm playfully and he turned to look down at her.

"You smell good to, Usa-chan, my little okusan. But, you already knew that." She beamed happily at that and turned bright red, the girls giggling wildly as Hidan and Kakuzu shook their heads.


	23. Two Pair

"Two Pair"

"I think I'm going to hurl. You do know he's a fish, right?" Hidan gestured to Kisame as they all looked up at him, a bit upset he had spoiled such a fun moment. He looked positively disgusted as he gestured towards Kisame, one brow arched to look at them like they were all stupid. Kisame sighed heavily and rolled his eyes, as if he got this alot from Hidan. Usagi smiled calmly and patiently though.

"Yes, but Hidan, darling, he's also a gentleman. Ladies love that." She said this as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, but in the politest voice that Hidan felt he should be insulted. He smirked after a moment.

"Well, if he's such a gentleman then why does he get his rocks off killing innocent people?" All the girls turned to look at him with larger eyes as Kisame now narrowed his own.

"Hidan, leave it alone..." He growled the warning, but Hidan, being himself, looked back to his cards casually and waved a slow hand in the air, as if moving his thoughts along, a bright smile taking over his features.

"Oh yeah, you should see him in action. He likes to kill, but his favorite thing to do is sever-" He kept glancing up at Kisame as he spoke, resting his head against his hand while smirking and pretending to be idly making conversation. Kisame had his eyes closed and was shaking, gritting his teeth, letting his lips draw back as he did. Usagi lightly rest her hand on his arm, watching him with worried eyes, but he slammed his fist into the table, knocking over Hotaru's sake glass into her lap.

"Ah dammit!" Hotaru held her hands up and frowned down at her lap, glad her kimono had fallen to either side and the liquid had spilt on the floor between her legs and the insides of her thighs.

"Hidan, if you say one more word I'll show them just exactly WHAT I do." Kisame snarled, using a deeper tone than the girls had ever heard him use. Usagi pulled her hand back into her lap and moved over to help Hotaru dab herself off.

Kakuzu glanced over, shaking his head tiredly before looking back at his cards, "Such a waste." Hotaru cut him a side glare.

"My legs are burnt and you're mumbling about a waste?" Nikoru giggled, turning to look at the slowly recovering Kisame.

"Usagi-chan may not want to hear, but I'd love to hear about what you use as your ninja way, Kisame-san." She rest her cheek against her fist as she stared at him a bit admiringly, but he shook his head seriously as Hidan laughed and pointed at Hotaru's misfortune, now that he found out she was scalded like he had been earlier.

"I'd rather not, Nikoru-chan. I don't want to make Usa-chan uncomfortable." Hidan covered his face and snorted back his laugh, unable to figure out who was funnier, then suddenly morally conscious Kisame or the wounded Hotaru. Hotaru turned her glare on him now.

"If you don't stuff it I'll make you fucking LICK it up." He paused and arched a brow at her, scoughing loudly.

"WHY would I want to do THAT? Jashin knows how many diseases I'd get, I mean, how many other guys have done the same thing today?" He looked back to his cards dully, rearranging some as Kakuzu calmly pulled another from the deck, muttering about folding for his first hand. Usagi held Hotaru down in her spot, telling her to calm down and decide what to do with her cards, that her legs were fine now.

Nikoru beamed, "Two Pair!" She laid her cards down on the table face up, pumping her fist into the air excitedly as she did. Hotaru grinned, laying her cards face up too.

"Hah! Three of a Kind! In your face!" She jammed a finger at Nikoru and grinned as the blonde pretended to weep in dispair that she had been beaten. Kisame shook his head, grumbling about folding and laying his cards face down on the table, folding his arms over his chest as he continued to try and calm down; still unable to look at Hidan. Everyone turned to look at him though, Nikoru bouncing a little with the excitement, wondering if Hotaru was going to win her bet. Hidan grinned and showed them his cards.

"Full House." Nikoru glanced around with a beam as Hotaru closed her eyes and took in a breath.

"So...who won?" Nikoru looked around for an answer and Usagi giggled softly, patting Hotaru's leg as Hidan almost glowed in revalry.

"Hidan-san did, honey. Why are you playing poker if you only know the names of the hands, baby girl?" Nikoru giggled and shrugged as Kakuzu gathered up the cards and shuffled the deck, beginning to start the game over. Hidan grabbed the money out of the pot and lay the hair pins next to him on the table as a reminder of what they lost.

"Poor Hotaru-chan..." Nikoru reached across the table and patted it as she looked at her friend with a sympathetic expression, then grinned over at Hidan, "So what're you going to make her do? You should make her say a prayer to your god." Hotaru gave Nikoru a "gee thanks" expression before huffing and turning to Hidan too, Kakuzu starting to deal the cards again.

"Well now, I don't know what I'll make her do. But, I know that your idea," He pointed to Nikoru as he sat back and drew a leg up, grinning as he rest on his arm on the table. "Was stupid." Nikoru made a pouty face and looked down at the table, Hotaru pouring herself more sake and knocking back the cup quickly, pouring herself another glass before someone could say something. Hidan held up his glass for her to refill, which she did begrudgingly.


	24. Just a Pervert

"Just a Pervert"

"Something sick..." He smirked at her, pulling his cup back as Kakuzu sat the deck in the middle of the table and picked up his hand, tossing in another bill. Hotaru watched Hidan with wary eyes, picking up her cards and glancing at herself for something to put in the pot; she would NOT give up. "Something fitting for what she is." He commented offhandedly now, pushing one of his winning bills into the middle of the table as Nikoru began to look for something to put in the pot too. Kisame picked up his hand and put a bill in the center of the table tiredly, Usagi glancing over to skim his hand before turning and skimming over Hotaru's.

"Nothing too odd, Hidan-san, she is my sister." Usagi commented behind her kimono sleeve, smiling politely before looking back at Kisame's cards. Hidan snorted, everyone waiting on the girls to put something in the pot or duck out.

"She's my slave for a day, she'll do what I say." He rest his mouth against his hand, drawing his finger between his teeth absentmindedly as he thought about his cards. Kakuzu looked up, eying everyone around the table.

"Someone put something in the pot." He growled, but Nikoru beamed and shrugged.

"We've only got clothing left." He shrugged just as casually.

"Give me your cards then." He held out a hand and she whimpered, turning and pulling them into her chest, pouting at him.

"I wanna play though!" He glared, hitting his fist against the table.

"Put something in then!"

Hidan looked up, "Your kimonos are worth a ton." Nikoru looked over at him and giggled cutely, rolling one shoulder in a smooth shrug at his comment.

"Yeah, but we can't take those off." He lifted a brow boredly, rolling a shoulder in a mimicing bored shrug.

"Why not? You do it for a living don't you? Why's there any difference now?" She stared at him in some surprise, opening her mouth and getting ready to say something about not being a whore when Hotaru tossed two heavy amulets into the center of the table, having pulled them out of her blood red obi.

"One for me and one for her. They're heirlooms, but if you put a price to them they're worth about thirty a piece." Nikoru glanced at the amulets, recognizing one as Hotaru's mother's. She looked up in some surprise, but Hotaru shrugged, "I'll get them back." Hidan smirked again, pushing one amulet back at her.

"Well, I can't control that bitch, but I can control you. I don't want your stupid rocks. I want you to bet your kimono. And I want it in the center of the table." Hotaru sat up and glared at him indigently, Kakuzu already playing the game and drawing a card, rearranging his hand as he went. He and Kisame both were ignoring the drama, Usagi was only half listening really, trying to help Kisame stratigise against Hotaru without her knowing.

"You pervert! I demand a redo! Best two out of three!" Hotaru hit her fist on the table, but he shook his head.

"You're the pervert 'cause you're the whore, remember? And you agreed to a single bet, fucking suck it up." He pointed to the center of the table and she screwed her face up before flipping him off.

"Screw you asshole! I'm not doing a DAMNED thing you say! I didn't know you were going to be sick and perverted about it or I never would've agreed!" He frowned now, tapping the center of the table a bit harder with his finger.

"You'll do it or I'll beat some fucking sense into you." She scoughed, holding her head high and mockingly shaking it at him.

"Ho ho ho, a little high and mighty aren't we, sexest pig?" She put her hand on her hip and stuck her tongue out at him. He snarled, leaning over the table threateningly.

"You made a goddamn bet, now live up to your fucking word!" She flipped him off again, sitting back from the table and looking down at her cards, lifting a brow lazily before reaching for one a bit casually. Hidan caught her hand and slammed it into the table, twisting it at an odd angle as he sneered at her. "Take your fucking kimono off!" She forced a laugh, sneering right back at him.

"I knew you just wanted to see me naked! You ARE a pervert!" He smirked back, unphased by her words.

"I couldn't give a shit WHAT you look like under there, I just want to see you cry as everyone else looks at you and judges your naked body." The hissing tone he used made Hotaru look away and have to fight off a tremor. How did he guess she didn't ACTUALLY like showing herself to people?


	25. Dignity's Saving Grace

"Dignity's Saving Grace"

"Hotaru-chan, you did make a bet." Usagi murmured, glancing at Kisame's cards before grabbing another for him, moving around their hands as she did. Hotaru looked over at her in surprise.

"You can't tell me you actually SUPPORT this shit." Usagi shrugged though.

"I don't support it no. I think it's humiliating and gross. But, you did make a bet and you have to be true to your word." She moved a card in Kisame's hand, glancing at Hotaru's, then looking back and moving another for him with a small smile.

"WOULD YOU QUIT CHEATING? Focus, dammit!" She jumped at Hotaru's shout, blushing and giggling softly before sitting back and putting her hands in her lap, Kisame chuckling and patting her thigh lightly to signal it was alright.

"Maybe you can come to some other agreement, Hotaru-chan. That way you honor your bet like Usagi wants and you don't have to be all gross and get naked in front of everyone." Hotaru looked over at Nikoru as she started to reorganize her cards too, acting like she knew what she was doing, but having no true idea. Hidan shook his head, pressing her arm into the table one more time to make her look back to him.

"No. I want her to take it off. Then I want her to walk around and show everyone what she looks like without it and tell everyone she's a fucking slut who LIKES people to look at her." Hotaru let her glare harden at him as he grinned at the thought of causing someone else pain; a favorite pass time of his.

"Hidan, that's really twisted. Can't you just make her say it in front of everyone and then do a stupid dance or something?" Nikoru put her cards in her lap and looked at him with slightly tired eyes. He frowned at her, as if seeing her for the first time.

"What the hell is WRONG with you? PLEASE don't tell me you wasted a bet like this on an idiotic thing like that before." She grinned proudly and nodded.

"One time I won a bet against Hotaru-chan and made her do the caramelldansen dance in front of everyone! It was great!" Hotaru closed her eyes at the memory. It was NOT great. Kiba made fun of her for WEEKS after that. Hidan closed his eyes too, looking at a loss for words.

"You disgust me." She stuck her lower lip out as he turned back to Hotaru. "Back to what's important, you have to do what I say, bitch. You gave your word." He let go of her hand and she sat back, rubbing her wrist to nurse it.

"I did NO such thing. I just simply made a bet with you." Nikoru nodded from her spot at the table.

"She's got a point. Sometimes you gotta get these things in writing when it comes to Hotaru-chan." Usagi nodded offhandedly too.

"I wasn't talking to you!" Hidan barked at Nikoru and she sunk back a little, making a face as she looked at her cards again.

"Well, well, well, looks like SOMEONE'S got a stick up their ass." He pinched the flesh between his brows in frustration before looking up at Hotaru again.

"Just do it. I mean, you're already a whore, what do you have left other than your word? You don't even have your fucking dignity to fall back on." Hotaru looked at her lap, touching her necklace with light fingertips as she did. Gaara came to see her sometimes now a days, but very rarely. He said it was because he couldn't stand to see her degrade herself like this and tear her dignity apart piece by little piece. When he did come over he usually wound up screaming at her and hitting her, going into one of his "break downs" either before or after he took advantage of her; she prayed every time it would be AFTER.

Kakuzu sighed heavily, touching his own forehead tiredly, "Someone do SOMETHING so I can get my money back." Hotaru glanced over at him with saddened eyes before looking down at her lap again. Nikoru was watching her from behind her cards very carefully, watching her eyes and the way her features arranged themselves according to her thoughts.

She let her fingers skim across her chest, able to feel the little protection amulet there that she always wore. Hotaru had bought it for her one day before one of her missions, explaining that she wanted a piece of herself to be there with her every day that she couldn't be, to protect her when she couldn't. A day didn't go by that Nikoru didn't have the thing on her person's somewhere.

Hotaru sat her cards down on the table and reached up with languid hands, staring hard at the back of her cards as she started to shed the thick silk that loosely encased her. Nikoru's eyes widened and she bit her lip, flinching to stop her, but holding back. Hidan laughed aloud, pointing at her as she started to pull her arm through one of the sleeves, still managing to cover her breasts for now.

Kisame was turning red and looking very purposefully down at his cards, Kakuzu wasn't paying any attention what-so-ever, and Usagi was turned towards Kisame looking like she was about to cry. "You stupid bitch! I knew you were just a slut who got off on people looking at you! All I had to do was mention your fucking dignity and you strip! Like you had any dignity to START with!" Hidan slapped the table, holding his stomach with his second hand as he laughed to the point of tears.

Nikoru bit her lip and sat up, reaching out and grabbing the second amulet out of the center of the table, throwing it back at Hotaru, making her pause to look up at her in confusion. Hidan frowned and looked over at her too, "Why'd you make her stop? What the hell do you think you're doing interfering?" Nikoru turned towards him with a determined look in her eye.

"If you insist on making her suffer then I'll suffer with her." He tilted his head at her, looking confused but slightly intrigued.

"Why the hell would you do that?" She looked away from him and over at Hotaru.

"Because that's what sisters do." With that she started to pull her own kimono off her shoulders. She turned red, looking away from everyone's eyes as Hotaru bit her lip and stared at the floor, still not moving to continue doing what she was supposed to be doing; almost like she had lost her nerve. Hidan watched Nikoru silently, looking evilly amused that someone had thrown themselves willingly into his web. Something was in his eye though, something that wasn't there when he was looking at Hotaru doing the same thing.

"That's enough!" Usagi quickly stood up, hitting the table as she did. Nikoru froze and looked up at her, recognizing the mothering tone in her voice. "Hidan, you should be ashamed of yourself! Taking advantage of a woman, no matter her station in life, is despicable!" She jammed a finger at him, but he sat back boredly, rolling his eyes and waving his hand in a slow circle as he cradled his chin in the other.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Lady, I've heard it all before, you can't honestly make me feel bad for doing something that makes me laugh." Usagi huffed and shook her head.

"The girls are done here tonight. Your bet with Hotaru is off." She bent down and helped Hotaru to her feet, helping her stick her arm back in her sleeve and straightening her kimono out before leading her over to Nikoru and doing the same. Hidan sat up, hitting the table as he did.

"You can't do that! I fucking won the bet! She's gotta live up to her word!" He jammed a finger in Hotaru's direction, but she wasn't looking at him, rather was holding Nikoru's hand and looking down at the floor as they now stood behind Usagi.

"Well, pardon the expression, but you can take your bet and shove it up your fat ASS." Usagi huffed at him, nudging the girls out of the room by the backs of their shoulders, nodding her excuse to Kisame, who nodded back at her.

"You stupid bitch! You're all just a bunch of lying whores!" Usagi shut the door on him as he yelled at them and pitched his little fit. He sat down heavily again, folding his arms across his chest and pouting as Kisame and Kakuzu went back to the game, simply including his money in the pot without his hand.


	26. Bad Romance

_~~**~~Right, and here's where I tell all you readers out there that if you don't like sex scenes you need to skip over the next...like, 5 pieces, including this one. If you're alright with them, then feel free to read on. But, if you don't like molestation/partial rape, you don't need to read these next few scenes either. That being said, thankyou for sticking it out so far, I hope you continue to read and enjoy yourself^^~~**~~_

"You and Me Could Write a BAD Romance"

Nikoru yawned and stretched, running her tongue around her lips to get the dry burn on them to go away. She rolled off her futon and crawled across the room, her eyes still partly closed as she grabbed hold of the door and pushed it open clumsily. Getting to her feet and tumbling out into the hallway she caught herself before she fell through the door across from her. Righting herself, a bit tipsily, she staggered down the hallway, pulling her kimono shut around herself and rubbing a free hand through her skewed hair. Holding the silk robe closed over her chest she made her way down the hallway, furrowing her brow as she tried to remember where the kitchen was in the dark.

Something had woken her up. She wasn't sure what, and she wasn't sure if it scared her into waking up or if it just woke her up, but she knew she was now up. Her mouth was dry and sore, her tongue thick and cottony. She kept running it against the roof of her mouth and swirling it around her teeth and gums in desperate effort to loosen it up with spit. She just needed something to drink. A cold glass of water sounded like the best thing in the world right now. If she could just remember where the glasses were.

Nikoru chugged a whole glass of water and refilled it again, just incase, before she started down the hallway again. Her eyes were now slightly open and she wasn't shuffling along like some drunk old man. Straightening up and humming a bit, happy to have her mouth back in working order, she took a sip out of her glass, resituating her grip on her kimono as she did. She had thrown the thing on when she got up and had failed to tie it off with anything in her hurry to fix what felt wrong.

A cool breeze wrapped around her legs as she passed by the courtyard door. She paused, frowning a bit and thinking it was weird that a breeze had managed to get through the door, and glanced over. The door was opened just wide enough for a person to fit through. She could hear the crickets outside and see the moonlit garden spilling out before her. It was all very inviting. "Silly Usa-chan, leaving the door open...talk about dangerous." She shook her head and started towards the door, picturing all sorts of rogue ninjas easing over the courtyard walls and stealing into their house at night. Gods knows what would've happened to them had she not seen this door open.

Something moved outside and she froze mid-step. Maybe Usagi hadn't left the door open after all. Or, maybe those ninjas she had been imagining weren't just in her head. She backed up a little, holding onto her glass and robe front tightly, her eyes widening as she started to picture what would happen to her if that rogue ninja came in and caught her there. Ninjas didn't tend to dally around with things like rape, according to Hotaru. If they had a mission, they would slaughter without a second thought as to what you could've been used for in the long run. She guessed she would rather be-

Nikoru yelped and shook the thought off before she could finish it. She didn't want any of that! She closed her eyes and turned, quickly starting to find Hotaru and tell her something was wrong. "Hey...! What're you doing up?" She paused at the voice that greeted her ears, her eyes opening and widening one more time. She spun on her heel, seeing Hidan sitting against the corner outside the door, one hand resting behind him on the metal track to the door, his head turned to face her over his shoulder.

"Hidan...! What are YOU doing up?" She hissed at him, stomping her bare foot lightly on the wood beneath her, it barely made a sound at all. He laughed quietly and turned back to the courtyard.

"Couldn't sleep. Why don't you come out here with me?" She took a step forward, but paused and shook her head, looking back at her feet.

"I don't think it'd be such a good idea." She murmured, wondering just what in the world had made her say that and stopped her from going out there with him.

"Aww, come on." He looked back over his shoulder at her, waving her over with a bigger grin than she could say she had ever seen on him before. She shook her head again though, drawing her lips in and biting at them as she did, gripping down on her kimono front one more time.

"Hmm-mmm...and maybe you should shut the door, Hidan-san...things could get inside and hurt us all, you know?" He barked a laugh that sounded closer to his harsh, usual tone.

"I'm the worst thing that could get in and hurt you all, trust me. There's nothing that goes bump in the night that could "bump" harder than me." She looked at the floor again, nodding slowly that she understood, guessing he was right. "Now, come sit out here with me. It's real nice. And I won't let anything happen to you." She glanced up, her cheeks tinting pink in the darkness around her.

"I'm okay...I'm going to go back to bed, Hidan-san...goodnigh-" He turned and narrowed his eyes at her through the opening.

"Just get the fuck out here!" He snapped and she yelped quietly, quickly nodding her head and scampering towards him. She didn't want to upset him. Besides, he just wanted to sit out here with her, right?

As soon as she got near enough to the door he reached up and snatched at her wrist, jerking her down and towards him without hesitation. She yelped again, her glass flying across the bamboo walkway they sat on, landing with a thud on the grass beneath it and rolling a bit as she fell between his raised knees. Her eyes searched for an escape frantically, feeling one of his thick arms press across her breasts, its hand wrapping around her shoulder to anchor itself. His second hand came over her waist, pulling at her hips and drawing her backside flush against his groin, the hand finally resting over her panties, fingertips hanging just low enough to brush her covered flesh teasingly. "H-hey! Let me up!" What was supposed to be a command came out as more of a squeak.

She heard him chuckle next to her ear, his breath hot and moist as it brushed over the back of her neck. "You're fine, I'm just putting you to use." Her heart was racing and her mind was starting to spin. The night air wasn't as cool as she thought it was anymore either. His lips trailed over her shoulder, her kimono falling to rest in the crook of her elbow, revealing one of her breasts to the moonlight. Those deft fingertips were pressing hard against the cotton of her panties, making her whimper and flinch every time they struck a certain chord within her.

"Please..." She lifted a hand, but he caught her by the wrist, holding it still in the air before running his tongue up the back of her neck, able to feel her body quiver in his grasp. "Hidan, don't-" She shook her head, but he closed his mouth over the side of her throat, his teeth nipping at the pulse beneath them. She whimpered, trying to double over to evade him, realizing her legs were moving apart for his hand on their own. His fingers started to pull at the rim of her panties, easily tugging them to the side. Her eyes opened quickly, watching him in horror, "No, don't!" He grinned as he ignored her, sliding two of the long digits in easily.

Nikoru gagged on the words that wanted to come out next. She tensed in his grasp, letting out a breath of air and falling back against his chest again, as if she had been holding it in. "H-Hidan...!" He continued to ignore her pleas, nuzzling his face further and further into the crook of her neck as he drove his fingers in and out of her, moving them in long and wide circles. "N-no...stop...!" She couldn't catch her breath and she couldn't stop this strange feeling building in her stomach from rising to her chest. She was pressing back against him, her feet sliding over the slick bamboo flooring in effort to relieve the anxiety overwhelming her. He lifted his head, smirking as he bit at her ear and listened to her whimpers of confused pleasure.

"You're enjoying it, so why do you want me to stop?" He released her wrist, watching it quickly fall and slam into his thigh, her fingers wrapping into his pant leg and tugging at them.

"Because...!" She gasped, arching her back to push her head farther back on his shoulder, letting him look at the beautifully twisted face she was making. He forced another finger into her, listening to the strangled cry of surprise she gave next to his ear, the hand wrapped in his pant leg twisting and jerking even more. "No more...!" She turned towards him, biting at her lip to hold back the noises. He lifted his free hand, taking hold of her face, making her open her eyes to him.

"No reason to hold back, you already look like a slut." She shook her head, drawing her lips into a tighter pressed line. He furrowed his brow, pushing as far into her as he could go. Her eyes opened even wider, her legs involuntarily drawing farther apart, her back arching from him once more. She let out the cry she had been holding in and he smirked, moving his free hand to grab hold of her breast, pushing it hard against her chest and beginning to roll it smoothly between his fingers.

"I-I'm not a slut! Please...!" She moaned, making him look back to her with a short laugh.

"Babe, not only are you a whore, you're also ENJOYING what I'm doing to you. Just look." He let go of her breast and pushed her head down, making her look at his working fingers.

"St-stop it!" She tried to twist out of his grasp, but she wasn't going anywhere, and the more she moved the better it felt. He laughed again.

"Can't you hear the sick noises you're making? You're loving this, whether you want to or not." Nikoru closed her eyes, feeling tears welling in them as she bit back on her sounds one more time. He let her sit up, pulling his hand out of her and letting her fall back against him, gasping for air in relief. At least it was over.


	27. Physical Epiphanies

"Physical Epiphanies"

Hidan grabbed at her kimono's shoulders, jerking it off her arms before she understood what was going on. She sat up, looking around quickly, starting to pull away from him. He got to his knees, leering as he pushed her forward and to all fours, pulling her panties down around her thighs. "What are you doing? Stop it!" She reached for the edge of the walkway, thinking maybe she could grab hold of it and pull herself away, but he slammed her hand into the smooth planks, pushing her front down along with it. She felt something sliding along the inside of her thigh and closed her eyes against it, only able to guess what it was.

"Please, don't! I'm not a slut! I'm not a whore either! Please!" She shook her head, his free hand pulling her hips up and against his own, bruising the soft flesh they were trying to sink into. He laughed again, something that was starting to sound more menacing and mocking than just mean.

"Don't lie to yourself, bitch. You're absolutely DRIPPING you want this so bad." His body was heavy against her own, the weight suddenly feeling like it would crush her. She shook her head again, trying to hold in tears as she pressed her forehead to the cool wood beneath it, starting to shiver.

Nikoru's body jerked forward at a sudden new feeling, her eyes shooting open and lips jerking apart in a choked scream. Hidan groaned next to her ear as he continued to drive forward, biting at her throat and shoulders, his hands tightening around her. "Hi-hidan, DON'T! It hurts!" She screeched, her own fingers trying to grip onto the wood flooring, her knuckles whitening with the effort. He scoughed, his breath suddenly too hot on her skin, her body feeling like it would tear apart.

"Yeah, you sure are tight for a whore." He growled, feeling her trying to pull away from him again.

"St-stop! It's too deep!" He grinned, biting at her shoulder as he finally sunk himself into her warmth, listening her cry out one more time.

"Give me a reason to stop and I will." He lifted up as he said this, planting a hand in the middle of her back to keep her pressed into the floor, his second hand continuing to jerk her lower half against his own, where they were now firmly connected. She shook, feeling him ease out and push back in, letting her almost drown in this new sensation.

He didn't give her a chance to answer, rather started his quick pulse in and out of her, making sure she moaned his name instead of a reason. "It hurts...!" He scoughed at the answer she managed to force out, watching her body rock back and forth beneath him, her walls quivering around him every now and then as she did.

"You'll get...use to it..." He bent back over, wrapping his fingers in her hair and pulling, lifting her head up off the ground, answered by a cry that turned into a moan. Nikoru felt tears staining her face as his ministrations continued. It hurt too much to bear, but at the sametime, she felt full...almost complete. Her mouth opened again, gasps for air escaping it between long moans of pain and pleasure, small whimpers and yelps filtering in between. He tugged harder at her scalp, pulling her back even farther, almost letting her see his face as he jerked her body flush against his own one more time.

"Please..." She almost choked on the word, feeling it lodge in her throat. He smiled, pulling out of her as he did, making her think he had listened to her. Then he slammed back against her, feeling her body jolt and hearing her scream. He grabbed her shoulder and lifted her off the floor, taking hold of her arms to hold her at almost a diagonal.

Her eyes opened further, her tongue almost lolling out of her mouth as he struck a spot she wasn't even aware she had. "Hi-hidan, don't! If you..." She tried to catch her breath, talking taking too much effort as this heat started to take over her mind. "If you...keep doing that...I'll...!" She whimpered, trying to double over at the feeling, but his hands keeping her forcefully upright.

"You'll what, bitch?" He growled, not honestly listening for a response; she wasn't even sure he realized he had spoken to her. Before she could answer though, that warmth took over her entire body, setting it on fire. She screamed, his every movement suddenly sending lightening bolts through her. She tried to double over again, moaning as she wrapped herself around him, trying to keep this blinding sensation within her forever.

He thought it was funny at first, but couldn't keep himself contained when she screamed his name. He felt himself lock up, his grip on her arms hard enough to break them if he wasn't careful. She kept herself going, letting out another cry of bliss when his heat tangled with her own, tossing her head back as she reveled in it. He let out another groan, wincing before letting her go, shoving her to the floor again.

He fell against the wall, covering his face with a hand and closing his eyes as he tried to regain his wits, wondering how she somehow managed to come out on top after all of that. He dropped his head back against the corner of the door, still able to hear her moans of pleasure echoing in his ears, still able to feel her milking him of everything he had. He honestly didn't know if he had ever felt that way before.


	28. Staking a Claim

"Stake a Claim"

Groaning he opened an eye and looked between his fingers, trying to see if he had imagined the whole thing or it had honestly happened. It was the latter. She was lying on her side in front of him, her knees drawn up and legs pressed together as she rest her cheek against the cool flooring. Her eyes were tightly closed and she was panting, her breasts rising and falling slowly, nipples hard as they brushed against the smooth wood. The moonlight spilt over her again, making her pale skin seem to glow, her messy hair looking like a halo once more. Angel. He sat up and put his hand on the floor, leaning forward to push her thin thighs apart, rolling her onto her stomach. She gave a quiet moan, but failed to open her eyes as he pushed her legs open one more time.

Nikoru whimpered, able to feel his fingers running over the slick folds of flesh teasingly. He parted them for a second, making her force herself up off the floor and look over her shoulder at him. "Don't stare at it..." She whimpered, tears still fresh on her cheeks, perspiration matting strands of hair to her forehead. He looked up at her with a frown, one hand still pushing into the back of one of her thighs. He could feel her bone through it.

"It was your first." She bit her lip and turned bright red, looking away from him, trying to roll back over. He kept her pressed to her stomach, her head jerking back to face him again as she felt his fingers toying around down there again.

"Stop it!" He glanced at her one more time, his eyes still volitile and malicious, but something soft glinting beneath the lilac colored irises.

"You really aren't a whore." Tears spilt down her cheeks again as she let her face screw up in anger.

"Good job, asshole! You're a fucking genius!" She hit the walkway with her fist, glaring down at it to avoid his eyes, not wanting the gentility that was suddenly lurking in them.

"I was your first...I'm the only one that's ever been inside of you..." She glared over her shoulder again, getting angrier and angrier, unsure if he was picking on her or not.

"So, what? Now I'm stupid because I've never slept with someone before? You can't just change up like that! Either you hate me because I'm a whore and have slept with too many people or you hate me because I'm a virgin and have never slept with anyone! Make up your fucking mind, you rapist!" She slammed her hand against the wood again, watching him narrow his eyes at her.

He drove three fingers into her again, widening them before starting the motions he had begun the night with. She flinched, shooting up and twisting around to strike him, "Stop it!" He let go of her thigh and caught her wrist, shooting forward to slam her into the ground one more time. His fingers stopped their movements and he pressed his lips to her ear, listening to her angry panting beneath him.

"You're mine then." She shivered at his words, feeling the tip of his tongue brush over the rim of her ear before he nipped at her earlobe. He sat back and moved his hands, rolling her onto her back and trapping her hands above her head, studying her for a moment as he bent over her again.

"Just because you were my first doesn't mean I'm yours." She muttered and looked away, trying not to smile on the inside. For some sick reason those words made her happy, they didn't scare her. He used his free hand to make her look back at him, grabbing her hips and pulling them up after he did, easing into her one more time. Her eyes closed and her back arched, the pain still lingering, but having left for the most part. His lips were at her throat again, his teeth grazing over her pulse one more time, his body starting slow, but hard movements.

"I'll MAKE you mine." She moaned, pushing her head back and lifting her hips to meet his, her body aching to feel the sensation that had made her lose her mind a moment ago. The words only made it better...and he said them over and over again, while she begged for more in between, until they both were drowning in the feeling again.


	29. Snitching

"Snitching"

Zetsu blinked in the dark warmth that surrounded him, something having jostled him awake outside. Slowly the fly trap eased open, giving the sickening sound of flesh tearing apart from bone as it did. He peered through the tiny opening given to him, one of his hands resting calmly on a thick tooth to the trap. His yellow eyes roved the courtyard from his damp corner in the back of it. He heard the noise again, able to make out a few words that were tangled in tones of confusion and fear. Frowning, the white side narrowed its eye, focusing on the twisting forms of Hidan and Nikoru.

He watched for a moment, unsure of what to do or think. It was clear the girl wanted nothing to do with his group member. But, it was also clear her body was fully enjoying what was being done to it. He could smell her pheromones back here. He tilted his head, "We should tell Hotaru-chan..." The black side hissed venomously.

"But, that may get the girl in trouble. We don't want to start any drama." The white side shook the head, glancing down at the ground as the girl's legs spread wide and he got a clear shot of her insides. He hadn't wanted to see that. Shaking his head the black side pulled back his lips in another slow smirk.

"But, she has a right to know. It is her friend she wants to protect." The white side thought for a moment before sighing and nodding slowly, keeping its eye trained on the ground he was planted in.

"We shall only tell...Should we wait?" The black side shook the head this time.

"We should tell her in time to stop it." He was out of sight in a matter of seconds, leaving the strange sight and noises behind.

Zetsu slid up out of the floor of Hotaru's room as easily as if surfacing through water. The bright of his eyes glowed in the darkness as they moved around the room in search of his target. He looked down, seeing her lying at his feet, her sheets tangled around her otherwise bare body. The white side blushed, his hand flinching to reach for her even as he stepped back, studying her sleeping form. She was lying on her back, her right leg drawn up at an odd angle, her arms bent and thrown to either side of her turned head, her hair tossed everywhere like spilt chocolate milk. The sheets were pulled up enough to cover her breasts, bunched between them and running down her stomach, spreading out over her straightened left leg.

"Hotaru-chan..." She moaned softly at the sound of her name, rolling her head from side to side slowly before taking in a deep breath. "Hotaru-chan, wake up..." She frowned in her sleep, turning away from the pale hissing wrapping around her like sand. "Hotaru-chan, we must talk to you..." Something touched her shoulder and she jolted awake.

"Don't!" She sat up and spun around, going to strike whomever was touching her. Her hand halted in front of the shocking yellow orbs peering at her like she was insane.

"Don't what, Hotaru-chan?" Zetsu stepped back and stood up again, continuing to look down at her as she sighed and put the hand over her face instead.

"Nothing, nothing. What is it?" She dropped back to her side, putting her arm over her head to block out the moonlight behind her that was suddenly too bright.

"We have something to tell you...It will be hard to take we are sure." She lifted her arm, rolling onto her back and looking up at him, the arm falling behind her head and onto her hair.

"Oh really? Who broke what this time?" She sighed again, her chest lifting and falling quickly with the heaviness of it. Zetsu waited a moment before he spoke again.

"We do not think anything has been broken. But, something has been...BOTHERED." His eyes trailed over her form, but she didn't notice, rather sat up and leaned back on her arm, letting the covers pool in her lap as she drew up her knees.

"What? Are they upsetting Usagi or something?" Nikoru had gone to sleep before all of them, she always did, and Usagi had stayed up with Kisame and them after she herself went to bed. He realized she didn't know what time it was. Zetsu shook his head, swallowing slowly as he took in a breath, inhaling her scent. Her green eyes stared back up at him, her lips blood red without the help of rouge. "Are they, Zetsu?" He watched her cupid's bow mouth form the sylabols in his name, thinking of the coy tongue that hid behind her teeth.

"No...Usagi-chan is in bed...We came to tell you about..." The white side trailed off, the black side starting to focus in on his feelings and zero in on her. She tilted her head, running a hand through her hair and pushing thick waves behind her ear as she turned and looked forward.

"I'll just deal with it in the morning, Zetsu. I'm really too tired to care WHAT they're doing, as long as no one is dying." She started to fall back down, but paused and narrowed her eyes at him, looking suspiciously into his own eyes. He shook his head again though, the black side's eye starting to trail over her knees and up her thighs, taking in how each sheet fold draped over her.

"No one is dying." She nodded and looked away, falling back onto her side and waving him off casually.

"Thank you for the concern, Zetsu, but I'll deal with it in the morning. Just try and get some sleep." She nestled her cheek into the crook of her arm, her other arm draping over her hip, showing him the cloth covered landscape of her body. He knelt behind her, reaching out with slow, white fingers for her. The black side's eye flared as he took in another breath of air to calm himself, and instead caught a small breeze of HER pheromones beneath his nose. These made him freeze; they smelt different than Nikoru's. Stronger and headier, like the scent of sex, but woven around sugar.


	30. Don't Wanna Lose My Head

"Don't Wanna Lose My Head"

Hotaru yelped as strong hands jerked her to her back, driving her shoulders into her futon to hold her in place. Zetsu stared down at her with big eyes, both sides seeming to watch her with the same intensity. "Z-Zetsu, what are you doing?" She glanced at either of his hands before looking back up at him, feeling one of his knees resting on the sheets between her legs.

"We can SMELL you, Hotaru-chan." The black side smirked at her, showing her the length of the fangs he normally concealed. She nodded slowly, running the tip of her tongue over her lips nervously.

"Y-you always say that. Can you please let go? You're hurting me." She looked at his hands again, but he ignored her, his eyes still trained on her own.

"But, we can SMELL you this time, Hotaru-chan..." She furrowed her brow, looking once more at him from the corners of narrowed eyes.

"What do you mean...?" He grinned again, lifting up on her left shoulder to touch at her bare breast, running roughly padded fingertips around the dark flesh of her nipple. She shivered, straining not to arch into the touch.

"Hotaru-chan was dreaming..." She grabbed for his hand, but he caught her wrist instead, slamming it back to the floor by her face, bending his own closer to hers. "You've forgotten what it was like to enjoy sex...haven't you, Hotaru-chan?" He hissed quietly, his breath a warm breeze over her lips and nose.

"I don't know what you're talking about. Get off me." She huffed, turning away before their mouths could connect, causing him to furrow his brow a bit.

"Hotaru-chan does, we know she does. Hotaru-chan's heart is about to burst from her chest." She turned back to his mischievous smile, "You enjoy sex in your dreams...but you don't remember what its like on your actual flesh..." He glanced down at her lips, placing his own over them softly, "Poor Hotaru-chan..." The white side murred quietly, closing his eyes as he eased his tongue between her still parted lips.

Hotaru closed her own eyes, tilting her head back as she pushed her tongue against his own, unable to stop a soft moan from escaping her. Zetsu pulled away, dragging at her bottom lip slowly as he did. He brushed his lips over her chin and down her throat, letting go of her right shoulder to run fingertips down the side of her neck and over her collar bone, leaving tingling trails behind each. "We can make Hotaru-chan feel better than she has in a long time." He bit at the nape of her throat, listening to her quiet whimper and feeling her body tense slightly.

"I'm not supposed to..." She turned her head to the side, forcing her eyes open to look lazily at one of her crumpled kimonos on the floor. Her body felt hot and heavy, weighed down by the heat of his kisses and hiss of his words. "I havn't felt like this..." She couldn't finish the thought, not sure what she wanted to say.

Zetsu smiled, dragging his tongue over one of her nipples, feeling the smooth flesh peak beneath the attention. She took in a sharp breath, her chest rising to meet the heat of his mouth, hips lifting to involuntarily brush against his own as she placed her right hand on his shoulder. "We know how Hotaru-chan feels..." He murred quietly, nipping softly at the flesh, the points of his teeth grazing the sensitive skin before his tongue flattened out over it one more time.

Hotaru let out another breathy whimper of joy, unable to remember the last time her mind had swum at just a simple touch; not even Kiba had that effect on her any more. "It's too hot..." Her head rolled to the side, her hand anxiously pushing at Zetsu's solid shoulder, mouth opening to silently take in deeper breaths of air. Her hips lifted off the floor one more time, the sheet covered mound connecting fruitlessly to his clothing once again.

Zetsu pulled away, biting a bit harder as he did, smirking at her yelp of pleasure and flinch of joy. He released her wrist, sitting back to cup his hand between her thighs, her breath hitching at the sudden feel of pressure there. "Hotaru-chan misses feeling like this...doesn't she...?" He bent over her one more time, his words slow and drawn out as he started to slowly grind his palm against her, feeling the sheet moisten almost immediately. She turned her head to the other side, crumpling down a bit at the sudden jolts of bliss shooting through her body. Her eyes closed tightly, fingers grasping at the air as she tried to catch her breath, the heat starting to swallow her whole.

"She's forgotten what it feels like, to be loved as well as touched..." He pushed a finger between her moist folds, his hand continuing to rove a bit groughly, the sheets scratching against her. She took in another breath, nodding quickly to his words, falling into her side a bit farther as she did, yelping once more. He bent closer, running his tongue warmly over her cheek, holding his lips to her ear as he stopped his hand. "We want to hear Hotaru-chan say it...Tell us what you want and miss..." Hotaru whined, suddenly desperate to have that feeling back, suddenly at a loss as she wrapped her hand around the back of his neck and turned to face him. Zetsu smirked one more time, looking more like it was a game then anything. "Tell us."

She shifted her lower half around his hand, overwhelmed by this burning need that was engulfing her. "I-I miss it! I miss the heat, I miss the passion...I miss being full like that!" She felt tears roll down her cheeks, but she didn't know why. "Please...!" Her second hand reached up to wrap around his neck too, her body unfolding beneath him again, eyes wide with her plea. He tilted his head for a second, as if surprised at this reaction, then moved the sheet to the side, pressing his hand against the slick flesh.

"We wish we could give Hotaru-chan everything she wanted." The white side murmured quietly, moving his lips over hers once more, sliding his tongue behind her teeth as he eased his fingers into her deepest part. She shivered, moaning warmly into his mouth, her hand brushing over the nape of his neck and through his hair, tangling in the green strands gently. She twisted beneath his menstrations, her free hand dragging at the muscles in his chest, knuckles whitening as her leg drew up around his waist absentmindedly. He bit at her throat, able to feel the vibrations of her whines and soft pleas, his teeth grazing her pulse over and over again as his fingers worked in and out of her.

Hotaru lost herself again, falling deeper and deeper into this sea of heat she was suddenly drowning in. Every touch and every breath left her skin on fire and took the air out of her lungs. She couldn't get close enough to him, couldn't drag him any closer to her, couldn't bury herself beneath him like she suddenly wanted. "Zetsu..." She turned, running her lips over his ear as she held his teeth to her throat, her breath escaping her in a heated wave. Her hips rose and fell against his hand desperately, her fingers clawing at thick flesh and winding through soft hair. It was like she was building and building, but didn't know when she would get to the end of whatever she was building up for. She wanted that end more than anything, but did her best to stave it off at the same time.

Zetsu eased another finger into her, able to feel the slick warmth tighten around him as he did, able to hear her breath catch in her throat. "We want to hear Hotaru-chan scream." He pulled away to stare at her, her fingers still pushing and pulling at his shoulder while she moaned. She shook her head, turning away from him before pushing her hips up hard against him, aiming to drive his fingers even farther into her. He smirked, "We will stop..."

She whined, lying back down before turning to face him again, eyes a hazy, jaded green beneath lowered lashes. "I don't want to...to wake people up...Please!" She pulled her hand from his chest, biting at a knuckle as he lifted her hips for her this time, tilting his hand to push as far as she wanted, his eyes softening with a smile as she tossed her head back and cried out happily. "H-hurts...!" He smiled slowly, bending over to bite at her lower lip again, hearing her moans gain volume as he continued on, widening his circles.

"Not enough to stop." She grabbed at his neck another time, pulling him into another kiss, his tongue running over hers and along the roof of her mouth before she moaned again. She couldn't hold it back any longer. Her eyes shot open and she pulled back, arching her back off the futon, spots starting to cloud her vision. She screamed, everything going black as heat enveloped her, her body going rigid with the feeling. She fell back to the floor after a second, closing her eyes before the light returned, panting heavily as her lower half throbbed with joy. He slid his hand away, making her whimper and shudder as she felt the emptiness return before the new heat even left. For a long time, it felt like she had melted.

Zetsu looked down at her, the smell of her happiness making his head swim. He held his hand up in front of his face, studying the strands of clear that now made pulling his fingers apart a bit difficult. He glanced back down at her, sliding a finger between his lips and curling his tongue around it, watching her chest rise and fall with her pants again as he did. One of her nipples was bleeding and she was getting a bruise on her throat. Her thighs were pressed together again, but opened enough at the top to show him her swollen mound glistening in the moonlight.

He bent down, pushing apart her thick thighs to slide his tongue over the slick line he found between them. She whined, dragging a foot across the floor, rolling her head again. "S-stop...not again..." He peered up at her, teasing a finger over where his tongue was, just to watch her squirm another time.

"Until Hotaru-chan can't anymore." He murred, looking back down before pushing his tongue into her, feeling her jolt around him as he did. Hotaru pushed her head back one more time, lifting her spine and hips off the floor, grabbing at the tangled sheets woven beneath her with searching fingers.

"Zetsu..." She whimpered, unable to stop him, unable to stop herself. She simply drowned herself in the feeling so long forgotten, hopelessly happy to have it back again.


	31. Don't Take My Sunshine Away

_~~**~~Okay, so, heads up, Hotaru can't see into the future through her dreams or anything lol She just has a very accurate mind and doesn't know it XD Anywho, you'll have to forgive the excessive detail I give of the kimonos. I'm very fond of them, most of them designs of my own creation, so I LOVE to describe them down to the tiniest detail. Just feel free to skip over the descriptions if you want^^ If not, then thankyou lol ;3 ~~**~~_

"So, Please, Don't Take My Sunshine Away"

_Hotaru rolled over in her sleep, murring softly as a smile pulled across her face, her fingers brushing against his. He had stayed the night, to keep her company, and to make sure she smiled for at least a day. He kept telling her he was worried about her, out here all by herself with nothing but worry about protecting the girls to keep her company. She got the feeling he just missed having her in town._

_ His fingers were rough and warm. She opened her eyes slowly, wrapping her own fingers around his, slowly dragging his hand closer to her chest. It was so much larger than hers, with a great many more scars. But, it was so much warmer than hers too. He told her that even if her hands always felt like ice, her heart was probably alot warmer than his could ever be; she always thought he was crazy for that._

_ His leg brushed hers, sending a shiver throughout her at the unexpected and unintentional caress. She squeezed his hand a bit tighter, making him shift too. He furrowed his brows, groaning a bit and rubbing his face against the hand his cheek had been resting against, smearing drool across his cheeks and lips. He opened one eye groggily, saw her smiling softly at him, and closed his eyes again. He pulled her hand towards him, rolling onto his side to face her, dragging her hand across his chest and letting it tangle in his white beater, flattening her fingers over his heart. "Go back to sleep, Nee-san." He murmured lazily, smiling as he fell back into oblivion. She let his heart beat lull her there with him, nodding her head slowly, curling her free hand under her head and lying on her stomach like he had recently been doing. She slept so much better with him near her. She always did._

_ Someone snatched her hand away from his. Her eyes shot open with a shriek as his body was yanked off the futon and thrown across the room. His spine slammed into the wall and he cried out, attempting to draw himself up in defense, and being kicked back down. She jerked up, screaming for him to be left alone as a man's giant silhouette kept him at bay. A foot collided with her stomach, taking the air from her and knocking her to her back again, leaving her to watch spots dance on the ceiling. _

_ Someone stood over her, a purely black figure. She shook her head, grabbing for their feet, attempting to take them from under the man, but her hand was stomped on, her wrist shattering easily beneath the sandle clad foot. She screamed again, her free hand shooting towards the offending foot in a desperate attempt to claw it away. Again, it lifted and stomped her hand, this time bruising the palm and snapping three fingers. _

_ Drugged and pained eyes opened to see solid white ones staring back, thin black rings circling the pupils insanely. "We're taking the Kyuubi." The voice was as strange as the eyes, deep and thick, six different echoes underlying it, as if she heard the words on six different planes of existence. She shook her head slowly, watching him stand back up and step away, starting for the door. The giant black figure stood waiting on him, a bruised and bleeding Naruto thrown over his shoulder like a brightly colored sack of rice. She tried to reach for him, but the pain in her wrist stopped her. Tears spilt out of her eyes as she rolled over and let her wounded fingers slam into the floor. _

_ "Don't. Don't...Not him. Anything but him." She was sobbing, the doorway empty and open, the figures and Naruto long gone. She rolled onto her stomach, dragging herself with her two good fingers, her feet propelling her slowly most of the way, her broken wrist dragging along behind her like a dead limb. "Not him...Not him..." She made it to the door before she collapsed, the pain making spots dance before her eyes again, the air having trouble soothing her burning lungs. _

_ She rolled onto her side, dropping her bad hand over her eyes heavily, shaking her head slowly still. The insanity of the ringed eyes echoed in her brain, the six voices repeating the words, hissing in her ears as she shook and sobbed. "Don't! Not him!" She writhed on the floor, shaking her head violently now, those eyes still staring at her. "NOT HIM!"_

Hotaru sat up with a screech, looking around wildly as she did. Half of her expected to see the moonlit figures still. Expected to see Naruto either in a heap against the wall or thrown over one of their shoulders. And half of her expected to wake up alone. That half of her was never phased by the constant nightmares. Just disturbed by the emptiness of the room that always greeted her waking eyes.

She sighed heavily, closing her eyes and dragging a hand over them. The girls had gotten so use to her nightmares that they never came to check on her anymore; if they were awake. They just waited for her to recover and get started with her normal routine. She hardly even talked about the nightmares anymore. Slowly she got to her feet, her sheets dropping around her ankles silently as she did. Hands still rubbing at her eyes, trying to make the burning rings of the kidnapper's eyes go away, she stumbled over to her vanity on unsure feet.

Dropping down to sit in front of it she grabbed at some of the jars and bottles. Their familiar clinking helped to ease away the terror of the dream. The smell of the face cream Usagi had concocted for opening her pores reminded her that she was in the real world, and the dream couldn't hurt her anymore. The cool, smooth cream of the lotion she had bought, rubbing up and down her arms and over her stomach and legs, reminded her that she was solid and real again. The rough pressure and light tingle of her scalp as she ran a comb through her hair, reminded her that there were others here to distract her from the dream. The liquid grace of her lip brush easing over her parted lips reminded her that Naruto was safe and still there for her to talk to. And the jingle of her hair pins, and light weight of her earrings, reminded her that she wouldn't ever have to listen to those voices take her NaruNaru away again.

Getting up on more sure feet, she walked over to the lacquered rack that had her kimono for the day stretched out over it. She glanced at the floor, seeing it clean of the mounds of silk she had previously left on it. Usagi had come in earlier this morning. She had set up a kimono for her and taken the others out to be washed. She usually woke her up when she did such things.

Glancing back at the kimono she reached out and touched its shoulder, feeling the hard wood beneath its thick silk. There were butterflies on it. The majority of it was a deep, rich purple, fading out to pale lilac around the middle and thickening into an inky black around the bottom and sleeves. The under-kimono was off-white, reminding her of the swirl of clouds or beams of the moon. Butterflies swept up the left side, starting in a thick cluster in the black at the bottom, near the back of her calf.

They thinned out and arced up her thigh, the final two or three spread out and sliding beneath the band of her obi. More of them fanned out over her sleeves in scattered clouds, a few of them flying solo across her breasts. They were of all colors, an artist's colored dream. Random threads scattered between them glistened and caught in the light as she put the robe on and moved it, making the sky around the insects glitter like a dusky blanket.

Her obi was thick and solid black, a fine, pale pattern stitched onto it with the same uplifted silk that made the kimono sky glitter, causing her obi to glimmer with stars too. A thin, white, braided chord stretched around the band of her obi, keeping it held tight, its knot and left overs falling over her right thigh, small, silver bells attached to the tasseled ends. Her hair was swept up off her shoulders and the back of her neck, the kimono's low dipping back allowed to show off the nape of her neck and center of her shoulder blades.

Ends of her hair curled and twisted around the pins keeping them up, falling to brush the tops of her ears and occasionally her hair line. Fine silver strands hung in a tightly pressed, shimmering line on either side of her head, clinging to the needle-like hair pins she wore. Carved diamonds topped the sticks, casting dots of light about the room as the sunlight broke inside them. Two butterflies rested on the side of her head, their wings colliding passionately, outlined in thick black, filled in with electric blues and rich purples. Her earrings were unusually understated for her. Simple, over sized, diamond studs. Two in the right ear, one in the left.

She stepped out of the room on silent feet, padding down the hall as memories of the night before pushed her nightmares aside. The kimono made her feel beautiful, as they always did, but it made her feel sick too. The butterflies though, they made her feel a bit different. She could feel them in her stomach as she thought about the night before. They were making their way to her chest, where her heart was starting to pick up pace at the feel of them too. They reminded her of the man that paid her a visit last night. The one with glowing yellow eyes. And they made her smile softly.


	32. Morning Routine

_~~**~~Just another heads up on japanese culture, incase y'all didn't know, they don't REALLY eat breakfast lol Like, now they do cause they're all americanized and stuff, but in traditional settings they didn't really eat breakfast foods. The foods Hotaru mentions to Nikoru are some of them that they tend to eat in the mornings; Tomogoyaki is a sweet egg~~**~~_

"Morning Routine"

Hotaru slid open a door and stepped inside, shutting it quietly behind herself. Usagi had tidied up in here too. And left another kimono on another lacquered rack. All without waking this room's occupant either. Hotaru often wondered how early Usagi had to get up in the morning to do all the things she did before any of them even thought of waking up for the day. She walked over and knelt beside Nikoru on her futon, sprawled out and drooling a bit as the covers wrapped around her strained to hide her modesty. Hotaru laughed quietly, brushing glowing blonde strands back from her friend's face when she did. "Nikoru...Nikoru...honey..." She shook her shoulder lightly, making the girl whimper in her sleep and twist beneath her hand. "Nikoru, come on and wake up, honey, we need to get you dressed." The girl rolled over towards her, frowning and whining as she buried her face in the crook of her arm.

"I didn't sleep last night though! I don't wanna!" She whined again, following it with an annoyed groan as Hotaru patted her thin shoulder and continued to smile.

"I know, honey, I know. But, you have to get up. We don't want your schedule getting out of whack." Usagi had never understood the girls' sleeping patterns. Her's was by far the most normal. She went to bed at a normal time, usually around 11 or 12pm, and woke up at ungodly hours for the girls. Nikoru went to bed at normal times too, usually much earlier than Usagi but, she slept in as late as you would let her and functioned slow if she got too little sleep. The strange thing with her though was, she would sleep at any given time of the day for any amount of time when she could. It was her way of coping with boredom and things she didn't appreciate.

Hotaru on the other hand, had no specific schedule. She could function on two or three hours of sleep-not at her most pleasant of moods, but function none the less-or she could function on a normal amount of sleep. If she got too much sleep she was tired and slow all day, took frequent naps, and went to bed early, only to get up early that next morning. She would sleep for as long as you let her some days, or be forced to get up due to her body, unable to lay for certain amounts of times on some days. She could stay up or she could go to bed. She supposed it was what made each of them unique.

"I just don't want to!" Nikoru rolled over again, whining and turning her back to Hotaru. Hotaru shook her head and sighed, shaking the girl a bit harder now.

"Come on and get up, we have to get you dressed so you can get some breakfast in you." Hotaru sat back on her legs at that, watching the girl with a lifted brow, knowing she was processing the information of the words just spoken. Nikoru slowly rolled her head to slide one eye over the bone of her shoulder.

"Breakfast?" She murmured and Hotaru nodded, getting up and walking across the room to brush some lent off the kimono set up for her.

"Mmm-hmm...tomogoyaki, bacon, miso soup..." She spoke casually and quietly, starting to take the heavy garment off the rack as Nikoru slowly forced herself to sit up and rubbed sleep from her eyes.

"Can I have some coffee?" She whimpered, climbing to her feet and swaying a little, pushing hair out of her face to get herself into the sunlight and awake.

"I'll make some, yes." Hotaru nodded and walked over, taking the girl by the hand and leading her over to the rack. "Now, come on, let's make you beautiful."

Nikoru glanced down at her kimono, watching Hotaru kneel at her feet and straighten the edges of the decorated fabric. "How do you get yours on by yourself?" It always seemed there was so much tugging and pulling and straightening of fabric and folds for this process. She couldn't imagine Hotaru doing it by herself, or Usagi, let alone every day.

"Well, Usagi did this for me every morning for a while...but, it got to where I didn't care very much about all the delicate stuff that went into this process." Hotaru rose and started to tug and pull at the fabric beneath the tightly wound obi around her narrow waist. "I don't do all of this stuff, I just put the robe and obi on, some mornings better than others. I mean...if it's going to be pulled off and put back on all day, what's the point in doing all of this over and over again? So much time would be wasted." She sounded a bit bitter as she said this. Nikoru could understand why. It was a bitter, depressing reason, but she understood all the same. And she couldn't feel but so bad for Hotaru, she did bring it on herself, after all.

"Well, you don't have to do it for me either, you know?" Nikoru let her arms droop a little, feeling the muscles start to ache even more than they already did. She was sore all over from last night and had a few new bruises to prove it too.

"I know...I'll slack a little bit as time goes on, just like Usagi did for me, and soon you'll be putting them on by yourself too." Hotaru knelt again, this time behind her, folding and bending the unnecessary amounts of cloth the obi contained. There was silence for a moment, and Nikoru took the time to look at herself in the full length mirror set up next to the now bare kimono rack.

The kimono was truly meant for her, almost as if the girls had bought it with her in mind. She imagined one of them did, if not both of them. It was a soft, liquid blue, the color becoming softer as it edged out towards her sleeves and throat. Fine strands of uplifted white thread streamed through the bottom half of her kimono, waving and weaving like ripples in a pool, catching the light brightly. The under kimono that peered from the edges was cloudy white, just like Hotaru's for the morning. Small, glimmering fish danced around her legs and hands, swimming through the crystal clear waters that engulfed them and her. Each ones scales were different colors, some silver, some black, some orange, a few even white.

Peering over her right shoulder was a large, cat with gray fur, pink nose and ears, and bright yellow eyes. One paw rested on her shoulder, supporting its weight, the other stretched towards the neck of the robe, reaching for the waters beneath it. Its back feet and curled tail drooped over her shoulder and down her back, as if it had jumped onto her for a moment. Its intent sunburst eyes were watching the single large fish in the pond of her kimono. It rest near her left ankle, swimming casually up her calf with its thick body. Its scales were solid white, its fanned tail and fins edged in crimson, spots of the color dripped onto its wide body.

Her obi was white too, ripples stitched emptily into it, only truly visible if you ran your fingertips over them and felt they were there. The thin, braided chord that wrapped her obi into place was the same crimson red, its knot tucked beneath the bow of her obi, its left overs tangled in the knot of the obi bow, dripping out from beneath it with little red tassels. Hotaru pulled her hair up off her neck, brushing her fingers through the fine, flaxen strands as she did. She tucked red hair pins into the small nest of hair, little white beads and tiny silver bells dangling off of them in short strands.


	33. Morning After Breakfast

_~~**~~I can't remember if I said this or not, so I'll say it again, to avoid any confusion as to what's going on here. "Okusan" means "wife" in a formal way.~~_**~~

"Pleasant Breakfasts"

"Nikoru...what is this on your neck?" She flinched as Hotaru's voice pulled her away from the picture her kimono had painted for her. She frowned and looked around her friend and into the mirror to see what she was talking about.

"What do you me-" She stopped herself, seeing one of the bruises from last night. "I umm...I don't know. I must've tripped last night or something..." She quickly reached up and flattened her hand over it, looking at the floor and she spilt the lie. Hotaru paused and took a step back, furrowing her brow at her,

"You had smaller ones on your legs and hips this morning...and don't think I missed the ones on your arms either." Nikoru glanced up at her, biting the inside of her cheek as Hotaru pushed a hip out and folded her arms across her breasts.

"They're nothing. I was just clumsy." Hotaru sighed, shaking her head and tossing her hands up, starting for the door.

"You and Usagi both, you're always clumsy. I shouldn't worry about rogue ninjas hurting you, I should worry more about you hurting yourselves." She slid open the door as Nikoru turned and stared at her like she had lost her mind. She had bought it? Hotaru should know these kinds of bruises better than anyone in the world. Hotaru turned and looked over her shoulder at the frail girl, "Well, come on, let's get you the breakfast I promised."

She held out a nimble hand, wiggling her fingers at her, making her blue nails wink in the sunlight. Nikoru nodded and took the steps to take hold of the hand, shutting the door as she was led out of the room. Hotaru hadn't bought it. She was just biding her time. Waiting for the opportune moment.

They walked into the dining room to find Kisame already sitting at the table. He glanced up from his tea to grin at them, baring his teeth cheerily. "Morning, Kisame-san." Nikoru beamed back at him, taking her seat on his left side quickly.

"Ahh, good morning, Nikoru-chan. I trust you slept as well as I did?" She blushed lightly, watching Hotaru bow and leave the room out the corner of her eye, putting her sleeve covered hand over her mouth as she did.

"I did, I did. You and Itachi-san had no troubles last night, I presume?" He chuckled a bit, taking a sip of his tea and nodding lightly.

"I don't believe Itachi had any troubles, no. I tend to sleep harder though, so I'm not the best person to ask after him." He admitted with another small chuckle and she giggled quietly, nodding her head one more time.

"I'll make sure to ask him when he comes in then. Have you eaten yet, Kisame-san?" He shook his head, then gestured to the door leading to the hall.

"My lovely okusan is in there making me breakfast now." She giggled wildly at this, covering her mouth even more as he grinned a bit sheepishly at her laughter.

"I can't get over the fact that someone actually wants to call Usa-chan "okusan"! You must make her swoon every time you do!" She hit his arm playfully and he chuckled another time, nodding his head.

"I'm rather proud to say I do. She makes a lovely wife." Nikoru shook her head and stiffled back another round of giggles, beaming from ear to ear as Deidara came into the room.

"Oh, good morning, Deidara-kun." She sat up a little straighter and beamed at him. He glanced over at her, sitting across from her at the far end of the table, folding his legs in front of himself as he did. He grunted a small response and she shook her head, looking back to Kisame and holding up her sleeve to the side of her mouth again, "You know, for someone so womanly he sure can act like a gross man sometimes." She leaned close to murmur to the taller man, but made no effort to lower or disguise her voice from the blonde. He cut his eyes at her.

"Don't start with the woman jokes. Not this early, un." She put her hand down and smiled politely at him.

"Then I'll take up with them in the afternoon, when you're more comfortable, Deidara-kun." He growled at her and she giggled, watching Tobi bounce in and call out to Deidara happily before stumbling into his seat beside him. She loved watching the love/hate relationship between the two of them.

As everyone started to filter in, Nikoru took notice that Hidan wasn't there yet. Kakuzu and even Itachi had come into the room already, but Hidan wasn't in his seat yet. Usagi and Hotaru came back into the room, carrying trays of food above their heads on either hand, smiling softly; well, Usagi was at least. They sat the trays in the middle of the table and began to serve everyone, pouring either tea or coffee from pretty little pots, and handing everyone plates to fill and chopsticks to use.

Nikoru looked at her plate, fiddling with her chopsticks in her lap rudely, not honestly caring at the moment. She glanced up at Kakuzu's grim face, watching him eat dully, his sickly colored eyes staring emptily before him. "K-Kakuzu-san...have you seen Hidan-san this morning?" She murmured quietly, glancing between him and her lap as she did. Her words were almost lost in the noise of the morning commotion, but he cut his eyes down to her when she finished.

Hotaru lifted a brow as she refilled Deidara's cup, watching Nikoru from the corner of her own eye. "The lazy bastard's still sleeping." The brown skinned man grumbled before biting into another mouthful and brushing the girl off tiredly. Nikoru nodded, reaching up with a sigh and starting to fill up her plate.

"Thankyou, Kakuzu-san..." Hotaru sat down across from her, beside Usagi, and began filling her own plate.

"Why do you want THAT asshole at the table? Things tend to run SO much more pleasantly without him." She scoughed lightly as Nikoru sighed quietly one more time, sitting her plate down and biting into the sweet eggs tiredly.

"I just wondered where he was. He's the only one not here." Hotaru glanced up at her, setting her own plate down and taking a sip of the tea Usagi poured her. She wasn't allowed to have coffee; the caffeine made her insane for the day.

"Hence the pleasant atmosphere." She gestured around the table with a sarcastic smile and Nikoru narrowed her eyes at her plate, biting at the inside of her cheek again.

"He does add character to the table, you know? You don't have to be QUITE so mean, Hotaru-chan." The brown haired girl gave another feminine snort of laughter.

"I highly doubt anyone misses him like you think." And with that snide remark, the conversation died before it could get nasty. Hotaru suddenly had an ugly inclination of where those bruises came from, and she didn't want to focus too hard on it; yet.


	34. Hallway Pauses

_~~**~~Alright, another time lapse...I don't think this is too far after the last piece but, again, I don't really know for sure. I did my best piecing these things together^^; Ah, and I forgot to do this last time, so sorry for that, but if you don't like sex scenes then don't read this piece, just skip on ahead. You won't really miss anything important, nothing you can't gather from the next few pieces^^ If you do like sex scenes then please, by all means, continue on reading ;3 lol ~~**~~_

"While I Waged Wars With Myself"

"Tobi agrees with Nikoru-chan, Tobi thinks we should get a pet too!"

"Tobi, you don't even live here! You don't have a say in this!"

"Oh, don't be so mean, Hotaru-chan! They've been here for so long they might as well get a say in something."

"Nikoru, you give them an inch and they're going to take a fucking mile. I'm not budging on this."

"Hotaru-chan, now, maybe a pet would be good for Nikoru-chan."

"Don't you start in on me too, Nee-san! We don't need a pet! We've got fucking EIGHT of them running around here!"

"Tobi isn't a pet! Tobi is a good boy!"

"But, Tobi, if you WERE a pet I could dress you up and take you out on walkies and tell you all my secrets and put you in the bath with me!"

"Well...Tobi supposes he could be Nikoru-chan's pet...Tobi would be a good boy!"

"Of course you would! Yay! I have a Tobi!"

"You two play carefully, don't break anything!"

Usagi called after the two of them as they ran into the courtyard laughing and carrying on, going on a hunt for Deidara to tell him that Tobi was Nikoru's new pet and he could be too if he wanted. Hotaru shook her head and sighed, smiling as she gathered up a load of towels in her arms. Usagi glanced over at her as she got up, "When you get done with the laundry I'll fix you a little something to eat, honey." Hotaru smiled, but shook her head as she started towards the door.

"No, no, it's fine. I'm not very hungry right now." She stepped out of the room, hearing Usagi sigh heavily.

"But, you need to eat SOMETHING! You'll get sick!" Hotaru kept smiling lightly and shut the door, shrugging a bit as she did. She padded down the hallway quietly, one hand on the top of the folded towels, the other on the bottom. There was something off in the hallway, but she wasn't sure what. Something didn't feel right. She paused, furrowing her brow at the glowing, red lanterns of the rooms, watching the way the fire flickered on the inside of them. Something grazed the nape of her neck, causing her to squeak and spin around, dropping the towels to the floor.

Zetsu smirked at her, his eyes glowing as brightly as the fires in the lanterns were. "Zetsu! I could've KILLED you!" She gasped quietly, holding her hand over her heart and closing her eyes as she took in deep, relieved breaths of air. She heard him give a breath of a laugh, the scent of blood curling around her nose as the tainted air wafted towards her. She opened one eye to focus it on him again, a chill running down her spine.

"We HIGHLY doubt that, Hotaru-chan. We are...quicker...than Hotaru-chan gives us credit for." The black side smirked at her, drawing his words out slowly, the usual hiss to his voice a bit more menacing and ominous than normal.

"Oh come now, Zetsu-san. I could've at least MAIMED you. I'm sure you weren't expecting me to spin around so quickly, were you?" She stood up straight and situated her kimono a little, glancing down at it casually as she sent a bit more chakra to her nose. She needed to weed through these scents and emotions he was giving off; she needed to know if she was ACTUALLY in any danger or not.

He shrugged softly, still smiling, a few fangs winking at her in the dim lighting. "We did in a way. We touched you to MAKE you turn around, you must remember." She laughed a bit exasperatedly, looking up at him and throwing her hands up a bit to show she gave in.

"Alright, I'm not having this conversation with you. We'll just leave it at a draw for now." She shook her head before kneeling down to start refolding the towels and gathering them off the floor from their scattered heaps. He stood very still for a moment, hands toying with his cloak as he watched her and she tried to forget he was there. Before long he took a step closer, bending over to pick up a hand towel, brushing his fingers over the soft, fuzzy fabric in a studious way.

"Hotaru-chan...doesn't like to be beaten..." The white side murmured and she gave a quiet, sarcastic laugh, lifting her brows in another sarcastic motion.

"Umm, I don't think ANYONE does, Zetsu." She put another towel on her newly started stack and he smirked again. The black side focused its eye in on her again, beginning to zero in on her scents once more.

"Hotaru-chan also doesn't want to tell us what she smells." She paused and glanced up at him out the corner of her eye, trying to judge her next move before she made it. She shook it off and went back to what she was doing, looking down at the towels one more time, now folding her last one.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Zetsu-san." The black side was up to something; she didn't like its tone. He bent over again, inhaling deeply over the back of her neck and making her shiver.

"Hotaru-chan always smells SO good...even if she does water down her chakra...We LOVE how Hotaru-chan smells." She quickly placed the last towel on the stack and grabbed it, standing up and deciding to move to where she needed to move and take the initiative to end this conversation.

"Well, thank you, Zetsu-san." She smiled softly and reached out for the hand towel he was still holding. He glanced between her and her hand for a long moment, his mouth upturning into a long leer, showing her every fang he owned. She started to pull her hand away and back up, but even she knew it was too late.

He lashed out, wrapping the towel tightly around her wrist and snatching for her other. She screeched, dropping the towels one more time as she felt her head hit the wall with a slam. She drug her back down the wall she was now pressed against, attempting to double over in escape from the teeth that suddenly had her throat. Her hands jerked forward, but he slammed them back above her head, the towel wrapping tightly around her wrists and over her clasped fists. "Zetsu, please! It hur...it hurts!" She whined, tears pricking in the corners of her eyes already.

His free hand sat calmly on her waist, caressing it softly through the kimono, as though it were trying to comfort her. He wasn't moving other wise though. His teeth had sunk in, piercing deep into the flesh of her throat, but they merely sat there. She twisted again, wincing and whimpering at the pain it caused, feeling like a fish on a hook. The hand on her hip slid down to her thigh, brushing past the hem of her robe, sliding smoothly and warmly over her thigh.

His tongue was working around the wound he was still attached to, beginning to lap up the beads of blood that were trickling into his mouth. She felt the free hand smoothing over her panties now, beginning to grind the heel of his palm into the soft, covered flesh, making her flinch. "Don't. Just get off. You're hurting me..." She shook her head, but again stopped the motion abruptly, the pain becoming something too much to bare. He paused, curling his fingers around her pantie's rim, dragging them to the side to brush the pads over the throbbing opening.

Hotaru's breath caught in her chest as he pushed the long digits inside of her, driving her to stand on her tip-toes as he did. "Please! Not like this...! It hurts!" She twisted again, once more desperately seeking an escape from the sudden waves of pleasure and pain crashing over her. "Stop it!" He suddenly pulled his head back, causing her to cry out as he hissed at himself.

"We don't want to HURT, Hotaru-chan." The white side growled, his fingers still working their quick ministrations within her.

"We don't want her blood, we want HER." The black side spat, his hand wrapping tightly around her covered wrists as he did.

"We want Hotaru-chan's TASTE, not her FLESH." The white side pressed its thumb into her clit, causing her body to hitch as she let out a long moan of joy, arching her back from the wall.

"We should taste ALL of her...She would always be with us and SAFE if we tasted all of her." The black side coaxed quietly now, his thumb brushing softly down the insides of Hotaru's arms. Hotaru opened her eyes to see the silent Zetsu staring back at her, as if contemplating all of this. Air was hard to come by suddenly, and it was difficult to take in through the moans and cries she couldn't stop giving.

"Z-zetsu..." The white side blinked and tilted its head at her, feeling her warmth close around his fingers as she squirmed in his grasp, panting softly. Her sleeve dipped off her shoulder, revealing one of her breasts to him in a quick moment. He stared for a second, watching the supple flesh rise and fall with her hitching breaths, the dark skin of the nipple peaking in the cool air. He bent his head down, easing a third finger into her as his tongue brushed over the peaked flesh easily.

Hotaru's head fell back against the wall, spots starting to cloud her vision as the heat of his mouth engulfed her breast, slipping into her chest easily, almost suffocating her. She whimpered, squirming around him as she fought to keep her wits about her. "Zetsu...please...!" He bit down softly at her words, tugging lightly to elicit another blissful moan. He lifted his head, brushing his lips over hers, his hand sliding down her arms to tangle in her loosely done hair and pull gently. She let her head dip back again, a leg reaching up to wrap around his waist, edging his body closer against hers.

"We have so much trouble...We don't want to hurt Hotaru-chan..." His breath was warm and moist, his lips soft and gentle as they pressed against her own over and over again, nipping softly every once and a while as they did.

"It's so hard not to taste all of Hotaru-chan..." His tongue edged over her teeth and around the dips and curves of her mouth, her quiet whine echoing between the two of them.

"We don't know WHAT we want when it comes to Hotaru-chan..." He sounded a bit distressed as he said this, and some part of her ached for him, but most of her just wanted him. She pressed her lips hard against his, closing the small space between them, dropping her hands around his neck and rocking her hips against his hand, shivering with joy as she pulled him flush against her. He nipped at her lower lip gently and she pulled away, dropping her head back only to gasp happily, releasing another long moan of ecstasy.

"Let's just focus on...making each o-other...as happy as we...c-can...alright...?" She brought her head up, kissing over his jawline and down his throat this time, smoothing her tongue over his pulse and nipping lightly at the bleached skin. She could feel the vibrations of his growl, his free hand tightening over her backside, jerking her hips closer to his. She grazed her lips over his own, her eyes heavy with the pure joy she was losing herself in. "I want ZETSU..." She murmured softly, beginning to twist and pull her hands out of their bonds, her body shaking with the effort.

He opened his eyes and smirked at her, forcing another finger into her fold, causing her to jolt with a hoarse scream of surprise. He pressed her back against the wall, his free hand pushing her head back into the smooth wood, running the tips of his fingers down her exposed throat as she gasped for air, eyes wide with something torn between ungodly pleasure and pain.

"Hotaru-chan's not ready for us yet..." His fingers slowly started to move, but stopped when he felt her body clench around him one more time. She cried out again, darkness swallowing her vision as she stared at the ceiling with unseeing eyes, tremors rocking her body. He waited patiently, smiling lightly as he kissed softly over her collarbone and breasts, waiting for her to ride out every wave she could.

"At least we make Hotaru-chan HAPPY from time to time..." The white side murmured quietly, sighing over her throat before kissing it another time.


	35. See, There's This Jutsu

_~~**~~ANOTHER time lapse lol When you read this piece, think of having a younger sibling. I have one AND Nikkias can be ALOT like a second one sometimes lol Hence, this piece^^ I wrote it as a way of picking at her; so it's only intended to be cute^^ Ah, and I forgot, for those of you that don't know, a "maiko" is a geisha in training~~**~~_

"See, There's This Jutsu..."

"But, Hotaru-chan, please...?"

"Nikoru, I'll talk to you about it later, I've got to get this done right now."

"You don't HAVE to, you just WANT to."

"Nikoru..."

"I'm just sayin'...But, yeah...don't you think you could stop just long enough to answer me?"

"No. I'll talk to you about it later, now PLEASE, leave me alone."

"But...PLE-ASE?"

"I said NO. Now, drop. It."

Things got quiet for a moment and Nikoru simply watched Hotaru do what she was doing. She had started working on some calligraphy, at Usagi's urging, and was now trying to make another scroll to hang up some where. They were supposed to be practice scrolls, but she was such a perfectionist anyways that they might as well not of been. Usagi kept saying that Hotaru needed to learn to do womanly things; things other than fighting. She herself had been a maiko before she abandoned it and forced her parents to let her take over the family business.

Hotaru had never had to worry about being girly or doing girly things. She could cook and, she didn't like to, but she could clean pretty well when she HAD to. Fighting was all she ever focused on really. Now, Usagi said that since she had some spare time, she should practice doing womanly things. So, she sometimes had her practice calligraphy, or flower arranging, or shamisan or something to the effect of what a geisha in training would practice.

She had picked up fan dancing easily, it reminded her of fighting, so it had been something she mastered within once or twice of doing it. Now, Usagi had her doing things that didn't resemble fighting at all, and were a bit harder. Calligraphy had to be the easiest out of the set though because, in a way, it reminded her of her scrolls and summoning jutsus. Sometimes she wondered if it was bad that being a ninja consumed almost every aspect of her life.

Nikoru had her hands clasped behind her back and was rolling back and forth on the balls of her feet, watching Hotaru's hand drag fluidly over the thick rice paper-not of the edible kind, she had sadly discovered as a child. The wide band of black ink glistened in the smooth lighting of the dining room's lanterns and window. Hotaru seemed to forget she was there for a moment, getting lost in a world of black sweeps and thinning arcs of fine red blossoms. Much as Hotaru seemed to love colors, she only seemed to like working with black and red when it came to inks.

Nikoru let out a long, drawn out sigh and rolled her eyes to the heavens. "Hotaru!" The brown haired girl jumped a mile high, her hand faltering and skittering across the page, leaving a ragged, sickly looking trail all the way to the edge. Nikoru glanced back at her, wondering why her friend hadn't said anything in response to her sudden call, and caught sight of the strange mark. Hotaru dropped her brush to the table with a clatter, letting the ink splatter across the scroll as she did, not caring any more. "Why'd you make it look like that, Hotaru-chan?"

"Argh! GET AWAY FROM ME!" Hotaru jumped up and swung at her, almost striking her in the chest. Nikoru managed to fall backwards and to the floor before the wind got knocked out of her. The girl would've struck her wide across the chest and probably would've left a long bruise over her breasts if she had connected with her. Nikoru laughed a little, looking up at the fuming Hotaru who was glowering down at her.

"Awww, come on, Hotaru...I'm sorry. I just wanted you to show it to me really quick! It'll only take a second! Now you've got the chance!" She grinned at the end, sitting up and nodding her head that it was the most obvious thing to do. Hotaru snarled, rolling her eyes and turning back to her ruined work, waving a curtly dismissive hand in direction.

"I'm not showing you a DAMNED thing now. You need to learn patience before I teach you SHIT." She growled, sitting back down and shaking her head at her work before throwing her hands up in defeated disgust.

"But...but...I just want this one thing! Come on!" Nikoru whimpered, sitting forward a little now, poking her bottom lip out in a pout. Hotaru put a hand over her eyes, rubbing her face slowly, taking a deep, calming breath as she got up and smirked, saddling up next to her friend and nudging her in the side.

"Come on...you know you want to. You LO-VE me. Come on, you know you do." She grinned as she cooed the words at her friend, watching her almost twitch in anger. If she annoyed her enough she would give in. She ALWAYS did.

"No. I don't love you. Not right now. Now, get away from me." She slid her hands up to her forehead, pressing her head hard against the creases of her palms and fingers as she stared viciously past her now wasted time.

"Come on, you know you do. Just one...come on..." Nikoru kept nudging her, ignoring her signs of growing frustration.

"NIKORU, I SAID GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME!" The smaller girl lashed up, exploding a bit like a volcano, her hands flying upwards and out to shove anything near her into the closet wall. Nikoru was struck this time. She fell back a few paces, staring like an abused child as Hotaru continued to glare down at her, once more for the past few moments of their time together. "DON'T bother me AGAIN." With that, Hotaru turned back to the table and sat down, putting her head in her hands with another sigh before slamming a fist on the scroll, smearing it with wasted ink and effort. Nikoru whimpered, but got up and left the room, slamming the door shut behind herself.

Fine. She would teach HERSELF what she wanted to know. Couldn't be that hard anyways. If Hotaru could do it then she could too.


	36. The Thief and the Memorabila

"The Thief and the Memorabilia"

Nikoru stomped down the hallway and into Hotaru's room, forgetting to close the door as she whirled inside and glanced around. She spotted the tall folding screen in a back corner of the room, cati-cornered and pulled some what away from the wall. _Wow, Hotaru, you're a GENIUS when it comes to hiding things, aren't you?_ Nikoru rolled her eyes as she went towards the screen, her thoughts laced with venom and sarcasm as she pushed the screen out of the way and looked down at the over sized, mahogany chest sitting there. She knelt in front of it, somewhere in the back of her mind realizing that it was easily as long as she was. There was a padlock the size of her hand forcing it shut too. She picked up the heavy piece of metal and turned it every which way in her hand, looking for somewhere it would give.

She frowned and glanced around, figuring Hotaru wouldn't be so stupid as to keep the key ON her and risk losing it, so she would hide it somewhere. Luckily for Nikoru, Hotaru had a VERY bad memory, so her hiding places were often very easy; to make it easy on herself when she had to root whatever she hid out later. But, sometimes, the places were ingenious; so obvious that they were the LAST place you tended to look, if you thought to look there at all. Nikoru figured this would be one of those instances. She got up and moved from behind the crushed folding screen, beginning to root through the slightly messy room.

After a long while of searching she paused and put her hands on her hips, standing in the center of the room and glancing around with a furrowed brow. She was somewhat surprised Hotaru hadn't come back here and discovered her by now. She must be really caught up in that caligraphy. Nikoru looked around one more time, wondering why in the world she hadn't found that damned key by now. It had to be big to go in a lock like that...and Hotaru always hid things in the stupidest places...Nikoru froze and stared at a window across from her, wondering if Hotaru would've been stupid enough to lock the thing and throw AWAY the key in one of her fits of rage. She shook the thought away quickly, turning and facing the chest as she did; she wasn't THAT stupid.

Walking back over and kneeling in front of the locked chest of goodies, touching the lock with wanting fingertips before glancing around the room one last time, defeat started to flicker in her eyes. Then, she spotted something she should've thought of before. The chest took up almost an entire tatami mat. Its thick, coarse, black rim jutted out from beneath the box, touching cleanly to the next mat. Nikoru pulled the mat up and saw the glint of a tiny silver key. She grinned and snatched it off the wooden flooring, dropping the mat with a snap before forcing the key into the lock and jamming it this way and that, surprised the huge lock didn't swallow up the thin little key she was holding onto so fiercely.

The lock finally gave way, its mechanisms clicking loudly before its top sprung open, the heavier bottom swinging as she dropped it against the wood of the box. She grabbed at the thin piping that looped through the latch of the chest, shoving it out of the way and hurling the lid back, listening to it slam against the wall. She froze and looked over her shoulder, her hands attached to the rim of the chest in a white knuckled grip, her eyes wide as she waited to get caught. If Hotaru came in here and tried to pull her away she'd have to pull away her cold, dead body first.

When no one came she looked back at the box. A bleached white face glared at her, causing her to jump back and yelp in surprise. She slapped a hand over her own mouth before she could give herself away, glancing over her shoulder one more time before refocusing on the box and the face it contained. It was an anbu mask. Crisp and clean cut, without a single nik from the battlefield. She doubted Hotaru had ever gotten to wear it into battle. Which was a real shame, cause it was beautiful.

She slid it over her own face, the thin, braided rope's crimson coloring standing out even more against her blonde hair as it wrapped loosely around her head. The tassels that hung down her back jingled airily, tiny silver bells attached to their beaded ends. She ran her fingers over the rounds of the cheeks and the short snout of the muzzle, blinking as she peered through what felt like new eyes. Her vision felt limited somewhat, her peripheral shortened and narrowed due to the flourished cuts of the eye holes. But, she felt like she got to see what Hotaru got to see when she had this on...like she was looking out of her Uchiha eyes. It was a strange, surreal sensation that she couldn't tell if she appreciated or disliked.

Nikoru turned and leaned back on her hand, glancing at herself in the full length mirror Hotaru had on the wall across the room. A bone white leopard stared fiercely back at her, its mouth a menacing painted sneer, its eye holes lined in black and narrowed to enhance the vicious glowering appearance. Black and red leopard spots twirled up the left side of the mask, creating the angrily dipped brow and stopping with another bit of a sharp cut flourish. The same spots swirled up the bottom right half of the mask, jerking to a halt slightly beneath the eye, almost like a violent slash of spotted blood. For a second, she looked like the Fire Leopard of Konoha. For a second, she was everything Hotaru had been and still was, somewhere down inside.

And, for a second, as she reached up and brushed her fingers over the frightening mask, she thought she could hear some of what Hotaru had tried to tell her so many times in the past. _Ninjas are something to be respected and feared. Ninjas are cunning and wise. But, when you see one of these masks, you stray to the other side of the street. Never look at, and never speak, to one of these masks._ She had never understood why Hotaru had become one of the people she had specifically told her never to associate with. She had never explained it fully. She just said anbus were the elite and above all laws. To this day Nikoru could only speculate what she had meant.

Nikoru pulled the mask off and shook her head, turning it over in her hands and looking at the face one more time. Interesting as it was to play with Hotaru's memorabilia it wasn't what she had broken into the chest for. She set the mask aside carefully, then bent back over the box, shifting and sorting through the anbu clothing and accessories. She pulled the anbu outfit out of the chest and laid it atop the mask, managing to nick herself on one of the gauntlet katanas as she did.

Placing her fingertip in her mouth she brushed the tip of her tongue over the beading wound, using her free hand to shift through what was left in the box. Most of it was old clothing. Old uniforms Hotaru had worn all through training, even her genin uniform, but the rest of it was most of her ninja material. Her equipment and the packs it belonged in. Alot of this stuff had seen better days.


	37. Kitten Mistakes

"Kitten Mistakes"

Nikoru had looked through this stuff with Hotaru countless times. She would sit Hotaru down in the middle of the living room or bedroom floor and make her spread her things out, telling her what each standard weapon was and what it was used for. She would unroll scroll after scroll and show her the writing on it, the long columns of faded and aged inks of different consistencies and colors flowing over feet and feet of thick and worn paper.

Her favorites were Hotaru's summoning scrolls; she had quite a few. She loved to see the aged blood stains streaked and smeared hastily over the brittle papers, and loved the each one had a story behind it. It was apparently unusual for a genin to be able to summon things, but Hotaru had been able to do it well apparently. Kakashi had told her it was because she was an Uchiha, and because she was his "daughter". That had always made Hotaru beam to an extent Nikoru rarely got to see on her.

She reached in and pulled out some of those scrolls, not knowing what was what. She knew that Hotaru's summoning scrolls had looked ancient and decrepit, burn holes dotted in the papers, cuts and nicks in them, and all sorts of inks scribbled on the papers. They were thicker and bigger usually and had blood spread over them in long slashes at random spots. Kakashi and a few other shinobi she knew that summoned had given her them, because summoning scrolls were only ever passed down. But, that was all she knew.

She unrolled a scroll and looked over the columns of words and symbols. Symbols represented hand forms...words were mutterings and chants...was there more than one jutsu in a training scroll? Or was it all just one thing? There were so many jutsus to learn, so many different forms of "magic" that ninjas could wield and use. Hotaru made it look so easy...she could do it too, dammit.

Nikoru closed her eyes and put her hands in front of her face, squinting with the effort of trying to recall everything she had forced herself to remember in a short time. She tried to fold and bend and move her fingers and hands as effortlessly and quick as Hotaru and them often did, but she fumbled and stumbled, having to stop, glance at the scroll, and start all over again. She didn't know how many times she did the stupid hand symbols. And, once she got somewhat use to doing those, she had to learn what the words were.

It was hard to string and flow the two together at the same time, making sure to say the words as fast as her hands were going, or visa versa. Again, she tripped and stumbled, and had to do it over and over again. Just as she was about to give up, she tried it one more time. At the end, positive she was still doing something wrong, she was engulfed in a shot of smoke.

Coughing and gagging she shook her head, rubbing her hand over her face to make the smell go away. Gods, whatever it was smelt horrible! What was this? Was Hidan screwing with her? Or had Hotaru caught her and thrown a smoke bomb at her to piss her off and confuse her? She blinked, looking around and watching the smoke dissipate and swirl throughout the air as it got thinner and thinner. Something seemed wrong here. She looked around again, realizing the box was much bigger than it had been...so was the rest of the room...and she was sitting in mounds of something really smooth and soft. Looking down she saw her kimono puddled around her like some kind of giant lake of silk. And she saw white paws. Tiny white paws. Where her hands should be.

Her eyes widened and she screeched, jumping back instinctively, all the hair on her back standing up and her tail poofing out. But, she couldn't escape herself. She spun around in a circle, trying to see herself, only catching sight of a thin, but frighteningly poofed up white tail and occasionally her back feet. She was yowling and whining, trying to understand what the hell was going on. Then she stopped in front of the mirror. It was hard for her NOT to attack her own reflection, she kept having to remind herself it was a picture of herself and not another cat. But, she swallowed it and sat down, her tail curling around her body and tapping over her little feet.

She was solid white with crystal clear eyes and a baby pink nose. She was narrow and lithe, short haired and...well...a cat. Shaking her head she turned and padded back over to the scroll, pawing at it and nosing it to unroll it a bit farther. There had to be something in here about changing back. It was cool and all, and she was proud of herself, but she didn't even know what she did or how she did it. She didn't even know what she had been doing. She had just grabbed the first scroll she had grabbed and started going at it.

Running her paw down the lines of scribbled characters she frowned, her tail starting to tap even louder as she realized she had no idea what she was doing again. Sitting back on her hind legs, hunkered down like a meercat, she put her front paws together and aimed to make hand signs again. But, that was the thing about these jutsu hand signs that ninjas seemed to so love, you had to have hands.

Tiredly she dropped back to all fours and closed her eyes, heaving a heavy sigh and flattening her ears against her head. 'Alright...let's go get fucking Hotaru.' She got up and started off, trying to plan out what she was going to say in her head, how she was going to apologize and how she was going to explain what happened. Hotaru wasn't going to talk to her for days after this. She might not even turn her back for a while.


	38. Anger Teh Kitteh

"Anger Teh Kitteh"

Nikoru stepped out into the hallway with her head held high and her tail even higher. Damned if she wouldn't keep whatever scraps of dignity she had left about her when she trotted in there to face Hotaru like this. She flicked the tip of her tail, thinking it was certainly interesting to feel the air against it and being able to use it like a para-scope almost. Her ears twitched to every noise, her paws barely touching the polished flooring beneath them. Suddenly someone was walking up fast behind her, and they were being really loud. "Where are the bitches? I'm fuckin' thirsty."

She glanced over her shoulder, trying to pick up pace so she wouldn't get run over. Hidan was looking everywhere but down at her, and Kakuzu was gliding along side of him silently, staring right at her.

"Sake won't help, baka." Kakuzu grumbled, still watching her as she almost broke into a run to get away from them.

"Oh shut up, Geezer, like you would know." Hidan brushed him off, almost swatting him in the chest, making his eyes narrow.

"What is THAT?" Kakuzu pointed out Nikoru to distract himself so he wouldn't hit his partner. Hidan grumbled about being distracted, but looked down.

"What the FUCK is a CAT doin' in here?" He barked and Nikoru jumped, freezing and turning around to face him, her hunches going up at the sound of the anger in his voice. "I hate goddamn cats." He snatched for her but she jumped backwards, swiping at his hand and baring her teeth, hissing loudly.

"Don't screw with it, Hidan. If its in here then it must belong to one of them." Kakuzu brushed his shoulder, but Hidan ignored him, glaring at the little animal baring its fangs at him.

"Fuck if I care, I want the damned thing outside." He grabbed again, wrapping his hand around her throat.

'Like HELL you're touchin' me like that!' Nikoru yowled angrily and wrapped around his hand, tearing open as much skin as she could and biting to the point of sinking her teeth into him.

"SONVA' BITCH!" He threw his hand out, trying to shake her off, but she held tight, hissing around the skin in her mouth, pulling her claws out and pushing them back in over and over again every chance she got. "GET IT OFF ME!" Kakuzu chuckled, but shook his head, simply standing back and watching.

Usagi came running around the corner, eyes wide as she tried to figure out what was going on. "Get it off, get it off! Fuck it!" Hidan finally flicked his wrist hard enough to send Nikoru flying down the hall. She landed on her back, panting heavily and glowering at him as he nursed his bleeding hand against his chest. Nikoru scrambled up, her little heart racing as she tried to catch her breath and figure the best path between their legs and away from them.

'That's what you get for messin' with me, bitch!' She couldn't help the taunt, and did her best not to stick her tongue out at him.

"Oh my gods, it's a cat! What in the world is a cat doing in here?" She jerked her head towards Usagi, seeing her staring in shocked surprise, as if she was confused on what to do.

"I don't know, but you should fucking kill it. We could EAT IT." Hidan snarled as Kakuzu groaned at his side, looking over his hand tiredly. He was always having to do first aid on his partner. Nikoru spat over her shoulder at him again before taking off, running past Usagi in despirate search for Hotaru; she had to get this fixed before she got killed. Usagi dove out of her way, pressing against the wall to avoid touching her.

Hidan glanced up at her, "Tha hell's YOUR problem?" Usagi frowned at him and turned, starting towards the dining room where the little cat had weaseled its way into the dining room through the small sliver in the door.

"I don't really like animals. But, at least I'm not a total ass towards them." She commented calmly over her shoulder before stepping quietly into the dining room and shutting the door on him. He flipped her off with his good hand, turning to Kakuzu, who shook his head and took him by the wrist, starting to drag him into the dining room too.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, where are you taking me, Old Man?" Kakuzu threw open the door and drug him inside.

"Getting the shit you need." The other grumbled, leading him into the heart of the chaos that had erupted in the dining room in the last couple of seconds.


	39. At Least it's Right, Right?

"At Least It's Right, Right?"

Nikoru ran into the dining room to see Hotaru sitting across the table from Zetsu, still working on her calligraphy, talking every now and then with him. She started to yowl as soon as she ran in, jumping onto the table and running through the freshly ground ink. "What the hell is this?" Hotaru jumped back, her hands flying up and her brush flying across the room, splattering ink all over the tatami mat it landed on. Zetsu smirked, watching the cat leave frantic paw prints all over the table and the new calligraphy scroll Hotaru had started on a bit ago.

"It appears the gods do not want you to do calligraphy today, Hotaru-chan." He murmured as the cat bounced at her, leaving inky paw prints on her chest as it, amazingly, avoided her kimono.

"Seriously! What is this? Where did you come from?" She grabbed the cat and lifted it into the air, looking at it with hardened eyes. It kept yowling and mewing, its voice cracking from the panic in it. It was pawing and reaching for her face, but she managed to keep it far enough away.

"Nikoru-chan." Hotaru glanced around the cat with a lifted brow at the slowly smirking Zetsu.

"What? Did you see her let this thing in? It would've been nice to fucking know." She grumbled and looked back at the cat, watching it shake its head, as if answering her question.

"Hotaru-chan, use your nose. We know you know what we mean." The black side hissed mockingly at her, lifting a brow and smirking.

"What do you mean? It probably just smells like a ca-" She used her chakra like he wanted her to and froze, staring at the cat as it stared back at her with expectant eyes. "Nikoru?" She turned her head to the side and lifted her brow again, looking at her suspiciously, as if she didn't trust her own nose. The cat meowed loudly again, nodding its head frantically just as Usagi came into the room.

"Oh, Hotaru, you found the cat! Good." Usagi stood next to her, looking down with a smile, but some sort of flicker of fear or disgust hiding beneath her eyes. Zetsu glanced up at her just as Hotaru did.

"Yeah, guess who the fuck it is." She shoved the little animal at Usagi who yelped and backed up. Zetsu let another slow and evil grin spread over his face as Kakuzu and Hidan came into the room too.

"Wh-who...?" Usagi looked confused and scared as Hotaru pulled the cat back towards her and flicked its nose lightly, sitting it back on the table. She hissed, but Hotaru hissed right back.

"Usagi-chan is frightened of animals. Though she claims to love them so much." Zetsu murmured, Usagi glancing over him as Kakuzu sat Hidan down at the table next to where she was standing. Hidan looked up too, snorting.

"You're afraid of fucking cats? They're like..." He looked around her and at the cat Hotaru was busy flicking in the nose and ears. "Really big rats." The animal flattened its ears on its head and turned towards him, cutting its bright eyes and spitting before looking back at Hotaru, giving her a pleading look.

Usagi got an indignant look on her face, straightening up her head and huffing a bit, "I'm not AFRAID of them. I just don't LIKE them. They're...gross. Besides, look who's talking." Hidan narrowed his eyes at her just as Hotaru and the cat did too.

"I'm not afraid of them either. I just hate the damned things." Hotaru looked away from her friend; she had always hated Usagi's hypocritical love of animals. She claimed to like all animals but, when one got near her, she freaked out and wouldn't touch it. If the thing touched her she looked like she'd either cry or hit it across the room; Hotaru had to give her credit for doing neither so far. But, it was a small thing like that, that made her sometimes want to strike her friend across the face and into a wall.

"Anywho, this is not just a cat. THIS, my friends, is our dear little Nikoru-chan." Hotaru smirked and gestured to the cat who swiped at her hand and meowed, its tail twitching furiously. Hidan looked back at the cat as Kakuzu started to bandage up his hand, shaking his head and muttering something again.

"I thought you said she wasn't trained in ninjutsu." Hidan glanced at Hotaru suspiciously, but she shook her head, pushing the cat's head into the table playfully, holding it down for a moment, just to piss it off.

"Oh, she's not. She must've gotten into my stash because I got pissed off at her earlier and wouldn't try and teach her anything like she wanted." The cat howled and whined to be let go, writhing in Hotaru's grasp, trying to scratch at her hand which was conveniently JUST out of the way. Hotaru let her go and she popped back up, going to lunge at Hotaru, but stopping when Hotaru gave her a face that said it wasn't a good idea. "You've gotten yourself into enough trouble, dobe." She hissed at her and Hotaru hissed back, once more. Usagi put a hand to her face, shaking her head slowly as she looked down at the little feline.

"Silly thing...At least you got it, right, Nikoru-chan?" The animal looked up at her and beamed, nodding its head happily and giving a soft mew.

"You fucking attacked me and knew who I was?" Hidan hit his fist on the table, snarling, and she jumped a mile high, turning towards him and hissing again, skittering to the side towards Hotaru.

"Oh stop your bitching, she must've had a reason." Hotaru waved him off, seeing Kakuzu nod that she was right, out of Hidan's line of vision.


	40. Bitter Energy

"Bitter Energy"

"Why has Nikoru-chan not turned back?" Nikoru looked at Zetsu, then back at Hotaru, pleading again, pawing at her chest and meowing loudly once more. Hotaru lifted a brow, refusing to touch the animal anymore.

"Because she's too stupid to know how. I should just fucking leave you that way." Nikoru bore her teeth and Hotaru bore her own, pushing her off of her chest and back onto her ruined calligraphy scroll.

"Aww, now don't be too hard on her, Hotaru-chan. She was just trying to make you proud, I'm sure." Usagi smiled and patted the air above Nikoru's head, but she pulled back, sliding towards Hotaru again. As a human she didn't like Usagi's fake love of animals either, but as an actual animal she could SMELL the fear and disgust on her, the fake kindness over laying it like a sickening perfume. It made her want to vomit and then claw out her eyes. Usagi stood back up, obviously a little hurt, but smiled none the less.

"Like hell she was! She was just doing it because she couldn't wait a damned minute! I'm stunned she even got THIS far." Hotaru gestured to Nikoru again, rage glinting in her eyes as a violet undertone.

"Well, we can always go with my first suggestion and EAT the bitch." Hidan shrugged, but Hotaru threw her screwed up scroll at him.

"No one asked you." She snatched Nikoru off the table and sat her on the floor beside her thigh, Usagi backing up to avoid being touched by the soft fur. "Just think of something human." Hotaru grumbled, but Nikoru tilted her head.

'I've done that already, like a hundred times, teme.' She rolled her blue eyes and Hotaru rolled her green ones at the same time, frowning.

"Not that hard. Think of something you want to do as a human and imagine yourself doing it. Picture your hands moving and fingers doing what you want them to. Focus on your voice and what you're saying as you do it. Think of being a human." Nikoru closed her eyes and thought of throttling Hotaru and yelling at Hidan. "There, not so hard, was it?"

She opened her eyes to see Usagi draping a blanket over her shoulders and smiling at her. She looked around, Hidan laughing at her and going on and on about how she didn't know how to reverse a transformation jutsu. She stuck her tongue out at him and he flipped her off. "See what you get from me for the next fucking few days." She growled, but he gestured to his hand again.

"I should get EVERYTHING from you for THIS, dammit!" She scoughed and looked back at Hotaru, who was wiping ink off the table with a dirty cloth she always used for calligraphy.

"Do you remember how to do it?" She wondered idly and Nikoru thought about it. She remembered a few of the words, and maybe two hand signs, but that was it.

"Nope." She shook her head and smiled as Hotaru smiled and sighed, shaking her head too.

"It's fine, that jutsu isn't as great as everyone makes it out to be anyway, you know?" The girls giggled together, touching their foreheads together lightly. Nikoru understood this was Hotaru's way of apologizing for her meanness and Hotaru knew the girl had forgiven her and had understood. Nikoru always understood; better than anyone. Hotaru supposed that was why she took her anger out on the girl so easily sometimes, because she knew Nikoru would still love her afterward. Usagi bent down, putting her hands on either of Nikoru's shoulders and smiling at her comfortingly. Nikoru glanced over at her, shrinking away from her touch a little, still able to smell that SMELL.

"It's okay, honey, you did really good for trying a first time! You should be proud!" Usagi beamed and rubbed her shoulders a bit before patting them happily.

"I am. And, no offense meant or anything, Usagi Nee-san...but, don't touch me right now." Usagi stood back up, looking a little surprised and hurt. Nikoru blushed a little and winced up at her, "Sorry...you just smelt really bad when I was a cat...and I can still smell it." Hidan busted out laughing at that one, making Hotaru throw the dirty cloth at him.

"Would you quit fucking throwing things at me?" Hotaru stuck her tongue out at him.

"When you stop fucking laughing like a hyena with throat cancer." He grumbled something, starting to get up angrily, Kakuzu having already left the room. "And, don't worry, Usagi. It's just an after affect of the jutsu, it'll go away in a few moments." Hotaru turned to face Usagi, watching her look at Nikoru with still slightly pained eyes as Hidan grabbed Nikoru by the arm and jerked her off into the hallway.

The only reason Hotaru didn't say anything to him was simply for the fact of the smile on Nikoru's face as she was led along by the ass. And the only reason Hotaru didn't throw anything at him, just to irk him again, was because she had run out of things to throw. She turned and focused her attention back on the still pained looking Usagi, deciding to focus the rest of her bitter energy on her.

Hotaru reached out and patted Usagi's leg lightly, half smirking up at her, "Well, now you see why animals seem to hate you so much." Usagi looked at her with slightly heart broken eyes, but Hotaru shrugged it off, still able to smell the smell too; it always managed to make her almost violently angry. "They can smell that sickening dislike and distaste for them on you." Usagi walked off as Hotaru looked back to the table and casually went back to cleaning up.

Zetsu studied her for a long moment, "We think that was a little harsh on her...She cannot help what she is afraid of." Hotaru glanced up at him, leaning on the table to make long, arcing sweeps with the cloth she had retrieved from Hidan's spot.

"No normal human being is afraid of ALL animals. And she's not afraid of all of them. Some of them she is...But, she's got a problem with everyone that isn't a fucking teacup poodle. Like, she doesn't like big dogs, because she's afraid they'll attack her. Because, apparently, if the animal doesn't fit into the palm of her hand, it could go fucking rabid and tear out her soul." Hotaru spat at the table, glaring at her reflection as she did. Zetsu tilted his head a bit as he listened to her rant.

"Hotaru-chan..." She glanced back at him, then back at the table, dropping back into her seat and sighing, putting her hands into her lap and looking down at them.

"Sorry...I just...Animals deserve life much more than humans do. Plants and animals...they don't do anything but try to survive. They do nothing but give unconditional love. Yes, some are grosser than others and some strike more fear than others. I mean, I'm not exactly going to swim up and pet a shark and I'm not going to not kill a spider if I see one...but, I feel bad for ending the spider's life, and I respect and admire the shark from a safe distance. Usagi just...she's so human. It's so human to be afraid of what you fear and don't understand...to dislike, even be disgusted, by something that you can't understand...and I want to beat the hell out of her for it."

Zetsu sat for a long moment, then smiled, "It is the animal within you. We smell it...We have always smelt it." She glanced up, arching a brow a bit playfully, though her smile was still tinged with bitterness.

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" He gave a short laugh, liking that he could at least give her some sort of a smile.

"We like the smell. It is a reason we want to taste you." She nodded slowly, then shrugged.

"Long as it's good, big guy." He laughed once more and she did too.


	41. Can't Fuckin' Stand It

_~~**~~Yay for another time lapse XD Right, so basically in this one Hotaru's still having trouble coming to terms with Nikoru and Hidan's new little relationship. She hasn't wanted to say anything to Nikoru because she sees how happy her friend is, even if its only for a brief second. But, it's starting to build, and alongside of the stuff Hotaru already harbors within her, Hotaru's dreams are turning into night terrors and are getting worse and worse. Ah, and, as a side note, in the original Naruto fanfic I wrote WAY back when, where Hotaru's background with everyone is hanging out, Sasuke tried to kill himself. She was the first to find him and to call the paramedics, but he had already lost alot of blood. But, he drug the kunais DOWN his arms, not across his wrists. Because, as we all know children, go DOWN THE STREET, because ACROSS THE ROAD is the COWARD'S way out ;3~~**~~_

"No, I Can't Fuckin Stand It, When You're Around"

_ "Can't you see all the blood? Don't you know that we all bleed, Hotaru-chan?"_

_"Stop it! Just stop! You don't HAVE TO BLEED! Let me HELP you!"_

_"But...I'm not the only one, Hotaru-chan...you make us ALL bleed..."_

_ There were so many of them. So many of them. Naruto was kneeling on the floor in front of her, jacket open, shirt gone, hands out to the side in placid supplication, tears running down his cheeks as blood spilt out of an open hole in his stomach where the seal should've been. Hotaru shook her head, pressing her hands into her cheeks and sobbing as he looked up at her in pleading. Suddenly something fell down in front of her. She screeched and fell backwards, looking up in horror as her father's corpse swung lazily in a slow breeze. His eyes were bleeding and it was pattering onto her. "Stop it! Stop it! That wasn't my fault! None of it is!" _

_ Sasuke stepped out of the shadows, his own eyes bleeding, blood spilling from a wound that was slashed across his chest. "You never did anything for me, Hotaru. You just cried and expected me to fix it all." He held up his wrists, showing her the over sized kunai marks running down the insides of his arms, the scarred tissue slit open again and spilling his life force onto her chest and stomach. "You just wanted me to fix everything for you." Naruto got up, staggering over to her, holding his stomach while wincing, chakra wrapping around him in the form of the kyuubi. _

_ "We can't do it much longer."_

_ "Stop it! Just STOP IT! I HELPED AS MUCH AS I COULD!" Sasuke leaned down and snatched at her, grabbing her arm and pulling her to her feet. _

_ "You should've suffered just as much as we did. Why don't you suffer like WE do?" She sobbed, shaking her head and screaming as Naruto started to claw at her, snarling while blood flew everywhere._

_ "PLEASE! I DID WHAT I COULD! STOP!"_

_ And everything did. Suddenly she was alone again. She fell to the floor and collapsed in on herself, wrapping her arms around her stomach and rocking, continuing to sob in the emptiness. Small whimpers brought her from her agony. She looked up, wondering what else could come to haunt her, wondering where reality started and nightmares ended anymore. The sight of a black cloaked figure made her jump and scream. "I won't bleed just because all of you did! Leave me alone! Leave me alone!" She started running for it, screeching and sobbing still. "I'll tear all of you apart before I let you eat me from the inside out like this!" _

_ She screeched to a halt when the figure turned around and leered at her. Hidan's violet eyes glimmered in the darkness, almost as bright as his teeth. Nikoru's screams of pleasure filled the air and Hotaru fell to the floor again, pulling the back of her hand over her mouth as she watched. "Bitch, please. I'm fine making THIS bitch bleed for me." Hidan groaned, biting at Nikoru's neck as he held her back flush against his chest, holding her legs open wide in front of Hotaru. She shook her head, sniffling as she pressed her hand down over her mouth, watching his dick pulse in and out of her best friend like some sick train wreck. _

_ "Stop it...please...I can't take it anymore..." She closed her eyes, Nikoru moaning again, reaching up and wrapping her arms around the back of Hidan's neck. He tossed his head back with another loud laugh._

_ "It's not always about YOU, bitch. EVERYTHING'S about you, isn't it? Look at how fucking HAPPY SHE is and how fucking MISERABLE you are." Nikoru screamed again, excitement spilling down her thighs and onto the floor. Hotaru screeched just as loudly, turning her head and burying it in her hands, shaking it and sobbing. _

_ "Don't. Just don't. You have to LOVE her...you have to LOVE her." She sobbed, beginning to shiver and shake. _

_ "I'll tear you apart everything you hold close, whore. And I'll make this bitch scream for me just as much as I want." Hotaru started to shake again._

_ "No...no...NO! YOU DON'T LOVE HER!" His laughter filled her ears again, echoing madly as Nikoru's screams tangled around it._

"JUST STOP!" Hotaru shot up in bed again, a cold sweat wrapping the sheets to her body, her sharingan burning fiercely. "Stop it...stop it..." She got up, throwing the sheets almost across the room she pulled them off so fast. Throwing on a bathing yukata she stumbled out of the room, rubbing the heel of her palm into her left eye, trying desperately to make the sensation of the keki genkai go away. Usagi whirled out of the dining room, smiling and carrying a small tray in her hands. She turned, hearing Hotaru muttering to herself, and froze.

"Honey, honey, what are you doing? What's wrong? What happened?" She set the tray on the floor hastily, rushing over and taking Hotaru by the shoulder, trying to pull her hand from her eye. She shook her head slowly, mumbling still.

"I-I need a bath...th-there was...blood and-and Daddy was swinging again...and Sasuke kept-but Naruto..." She started to cry again, driving the heel of her palm deeper and deeper into the crimson colored eye.

"Honey, honey, stop it. Rubbing it isn't helping, it never helps. Stop now." Usagi brushed her cheek in effort to calm her, still trying to pull her hand down. Hotaru shook her head though.

"It isn't always about me, you know? I don't always make it about me...He, he wasn't-he doesn't love her. He doesn't love her at all. It's just sick." Usagi sighed, turning and wrapping her free hand around her shoulder, slowly leading her down the hall again.

"Come on...let's just get you in the bath. You need to relax, it's the only thing that'll make it go away." Hotaru nodded slowly again, eyes still empty as she stared at the floor moving beneath them.

"Not all about me...I swear I didn't want them to bleed for me...I would too if I could..." Usagi shook her head patiently.

"No, no, no, baby. No one wants you to bleed for them. No one wants your blood at all. They just want you to be safe." Usagi murmured, opening the door out to the hot springs and starting to lead her through it.

"It's so fucking early, Geezer. You seriously woke me up so you didn't have to fucking bathe by yourself? What, you afraid you gonna drown or somethin'?" Hidan laughed as they came in from the men's side of the bath, Kakuzu already snarling and grumbling under his breath as he hooked his mask back together over his grim mouth. Hotaru froze, her breath beginning to hitch as it caught in her throat.

"Hotaru, come on, honey..." Usagi murmured softly, trying to edge her friend along, but the men were coming towards them.

"It hurts...it hurts so bad...I-I can't, he doesn't love her." She turned and focused her good eye on Hidan, stopping him and Kakuzu both dead in their tracks. Usagi shook her head as the three of them stared each other down, trying to tug Hotaru along still.

"Hotaru, stop. Come on, let's get you in the bath." Hidan cocked his head and grinned, slicking a hand through his hair as he did.

"What's the whore's problem? You gouge your eye out in your sleep or something?" He snickered as Hotaru's good eye hardened and narrowed at him.

"You don't LOVE her." Usagi shook her head again, gripping a bit harder on her friend's shoulders.

"Hotaru, stop it. You're just having a moment. Come on, let's get you in the BATH." She started to shove at Hotaru, but the girl barely flinched, able to stand her ground when she wanted. Hidan cocked his head again, smirking at the tone in Hotaru's voice.

"I love fucking her though. That should be good enough." Hotaru bared her teeth and dropped her hand, the wheel of her sharingan focusing in on him as she did. He shot back a step, Kakuzu's eyes narrowing on her as Hidan let out a swear.

"Fuck! She's like Itachi! Goddammit!" Hotaru lashed forward, ignoring his curses.

"You fucking don't LOVE her! You can't HAVE her!" He swiped at her, Usagi screeching and shooting foward to catch Hotaru by the shoulders, but she dodged out of her friend's grasp, ducking low and shooting a leg out. She kicked Hidan's ankle, snapping it and sending him forward with a cry before she jumped up, catching him by the hair. "I'll DESTROY you before you can HURT HER! SHE'S MINE!" Her knee shot into his stomach and he gagged, doubling over the bent leg as his mouth opened in a silent, pained, cry.

"Hotaru, stop!" Usagi fell to the ground, shaking her head and covering her eyes as she did; she had never seen her like this before. Never.

"You. Can't. Have. Her." Hotaru hissed in his ear before raising her head and hand, going to strike him in the back of his strangely stitched neck. Something struck her in the spine instead. She gasped, her hands shooting open to release Hidan, both of them collapsing to the floor, Hotaru falling to her stomach on top of Hidan's back. Usagi looked up, sniffling softly and wiping tears from her eyes, seeing Kakuzu twisting his wrist as the chords wrapped around it again and threaded themselves back to where they belonged.

"Wh-what did you do to her...?" She whimpered, getting on her knees, moving a few paces towards the still bodies.

"Knocked her out." He walked towards them too, Hidan beginning to cough as he started to snap out of the shock. "She's fast. Hidan's not weak, but he's slow. You need to keep her on a leash before she hits the wrong one and winds up getting killed." Usagi nodded hastily, getting to her feet and scrambling to lift Hotaru off of Hidan before he got up and decided to take revenge.

"I-I know...she just wakes up in these episodes sometimes..." Usagi lifted the girl up, putting her arm over her shoulders and starting to walk her away slowly.

"If she's like Itachi, she must be from his bloodline...talk to him." Kakuzu slung Hidan over his shoulder too, starting down the hallway also, breezing past her easily. She sighed heavily, beneath Hotaru's dead weight, grumbling at him.

"Thanks for the help."


	42. Worries

_~~**~~You'll learn more about Hotaru's past with Gaara here in a few pieces, so don't dwell on not knowing too much about that lol~~_**~~

"Worries"

Nikoru woke up to Usagi that morning instead of Hotaru. She frowned a little as she stood and rubbed her eyes, watching Usagi gather up the kimono's under robe and bring it over to her. "Usa-chan? Shouldn't you be making breakfast? Where's Hotaru?" She whimpered as she slid into the soft cotton of the robe, wrapping her arms around herself and snuggling into the thin under garment as Usagi turned her back to her and gathered up the actual kimono.

"She umm...she's sleeping, baby girl. She doesn't feel good." Nikoru held up her arms and let Usagi pull the weighted garment over her sleeves.

"What's wrong with her?" Nikoru was starting to wake up and she was starting to see in Usagi's eyes that something wasn't right here.

"She had bad dreams again." The blonde lifted a brow and waited for her friend to continue, but the taller girl failed to, rather focused herself on wrapping the obi around her.

"That's never good...especially from the fact that she went back to sleep...what happened?" Usagi shook her head and brushed it off, beginning to straighten and pull and tighten and crease like Hotaru did every morning. Nikoru frowned and jerked out of her grasp, putting her arms over her chest and cutting her eyes at her. "Tell. Me. What. Happened. Why is my Hotaru-chan in bed again?" Usagi sighed and hit her thighs in defeat, shaking her head before standing up and crossing her arms over her breasts, refusing to meet her gaze.

"I don't know, I couldn't talk to her. I just saw her wandering towards the bath, half dressed in one of her bathing yukatas, rubbing at her eye. Her sharingon was out so she was pretty agitated." Nikoru bit at the inside of her cheek as she listened, tilting her head a bit as she tried to understand what was going on. The girls loved each other very much. They all were very close.

But, Nikoru and Hotaru always had a bit of a stranger, stronger relationship than they had with Usagi. Due to her father's traveling though, Nikoru never got to stay with Hotaru or Usagi very long, so she barely knew either of the girls at all. "I was trying to take her to the bath...she kept talking about bleeding and how things weren't her fault, how she would bleed if someone asked her..." Usagi was waving her hand, frowning and trying to make it all string together, trying to make sense of it also.

"Hidan came out of the bath with Kakuzu and she suddenly wouldn't move. She just...just RAN at him...It was insane. I didn't even see her move." She shook her head, her eyes widening as she stared in surprise at the floor, waving her hand again, like she was watching it one more time.

"Wait...what do you MEAN she RAN at him?" Nikoru stepped forward and put her hand on her friend's shoulder, a concerned look on her face.

"She did. She just broke out and RAN at him. He...he fell...I tried to stop her, but she was too fast. His ankle...it made this GOD AWFUL noise and then she was up and just...ON him. She was screaming something about destroying him, and how you were hers and not his and, he didn't love you, and-it just ended." She shrugged, pausing and looking at Nikoru as though she were peering through her. Nikoru waited, her mouth moving slowly but no words coming out.

"Just...just ended? What happened? Are they okay?" Usagi nodded her head, waving her off again, looking at the floor one more time as Nikoru let out a sigh of relief.

"Kakuzu hit her...he just struck her and she just...fell. He knocked her out in one hit." She shrugged again, "He told me to make Hotaru talk to Itachi, because they have the same eyes. I don't know what it will do, but if he'll sit long enough and actually TALK to her, I guess I will." Nikoru spun and started towards the door, "Wait, you're not done. Your hair's not done or anything!" Usagi reached for her, but Nikoru shook her head and opened the door.

"We can't live in chaos like this." Nikoru turned to face her, shaking her head again and glancing at the floor, then back up at her. "I'm going to check on her and talk to her, see if I can't make sense of all of this. But...she's driving herself insane like this. We need to get her out of this setting. Back to town, back to Kakashi, back to Naruto, and Kiba, and all of them. Back to somewhere safe."

She turned and started to go again. "Nikoru..." She paused and turned back around, expecting Usagi to try and stop her again. She was going to check on both of them, whether Usagi liked it or not. "Do you know what was the scariest thing?" She furrowed her brow for a moment, caught off guard, then shrugged.

"What was, honey?" Usagi put her thumb to her lower lip and bit at it softly, folding her second arm beneath her small breasts and swaying lightly, trying to comfort herself.

"It was what she was SAYING. She...she didn't sound like herself. I don't know if it was the dreams, the madness, the eye, I don't know. She just..." Usagi looked up slowly and sadly, a flicker of fear in her eyes as she did, "She sounded like Gaara."


	43. The Injured and the Wounded

_~~**~~Whoot for another massive time jump! Right, so all you need to know is Shikamaru brought Naruto into the girou wounded and unconscious, Shika himself looking worse for the wear as well. So, the girls have sent the boys to their rooms and told them to stay hidden and out of sight until Shika and Naru leave. So, no, Shika nor Naru know that the Akatsuki are hiding out with the girls. Oh, and Hotaru isn't Naruto's older sister; by blood. He just calls her that because they've been friends for so long and she basically took it upon herself to take care of him and treat him like a baby brother when she first met him. It's sort've been that way ever since^^;~~**~~_

"The Injured and the Wounded"

"I'll sing it one last time for you...but then we really have to go..." Hotaru brushed hair out of his eyes with her fingertips, combing them gently through the fuzzy blonde spikes. Her eyes were soft, almost tired in appearance, as she studied his features for any sign of pain she could control. Her hand slid from his hair and down the side of his face, the backs of her fingers grazing over his cheek and jaw before moving back to shift through the blonde tresses one more time. "You've been the only thing that's right...in a life time. And I can bare-ly look at you, but every sin-gle time I do...I know we'll make it anywhere away from here."

Naruto whimpered, forcing his eyes open as the familiar voice wrapped around him like a silk blanket. He blinked, his body aching as he attempted to roll his head to the side. He was on something soft, and something was caressing him. Slowly he turned his head to the side and came face-to-face with a golden colored obi, the fine pattern on it slowly becoming visible to his focusing eyes. He saw it shift as whoever was wearing it bent closer to him.

Rich blue fabric fell over the thick golden belt, the hem of the blue trimmed in creamy white. Glossy purple blossoms cascaded down the kimono, fine streaks of gold thread scattered through them to look like sunshine when caught in the light. He felt someone brushing his forehead again and heard the soft voice one more time. "Light up, light up, as if you ha-ve a choice...even if you cannot he-ar my voice...I'll be right beside you, dear."

Slowly he pushed his head back, realizing it was in someone's lap. He looked up too see Hotaru's gentle green eyes peering at him from beneath her long lashes, her red lips forming the slow song as she murmured it to him. He smiled lightly and she did the same, "Onee-san..." She nodded her head, slowly rubbing his chest with her free hand, cradeling his head against her body as she held him. "Y-your song..." She smiled and gave a breathy laugh, nodding once more, her hair falling from its carefully put up do.

"Yes, Naru-kun...my song." He closed his eyes, the pain ebbing away as thick clouds of unconsciousness seeped in from the corners of his mind again.

"How did I...?" She put her fingers over his lips, shaking her head slowly, watching him wince as a sharp pain shot through him like a bolt of lightening.

"Shikamaru brought you. It was the best he could do." His face relaxed as much as it could before he took in a shaky breath, turning towards her and taking in her calming scent. So many happy memories tied to that scent. He smiled lightly again.

"Don't stop...Nee-san..." Hotaru felt tears prick at her eyes as she nodded and forced the lump down in her throat.

"L-louder, louder, and we'll run fo-r our lives, I-I can hardly speak I under-stand...why you can't waste your voice to say." It was a bit more difficult to sing now, but she fought back the tears his words had brought on and persevered for him. He probably couldn't hear her anymore, but it was a nice thought. "To think I might not see those eyes, makes it so hard not to cry...And as we say our lo-ng goodbyes, I nearly do. Light up, light up, as if you ha-ve a choice...even if you cannot he-ar my voice...I'll be right beside you, dear."

Usagi peered around the corner of the doorway and into the room through the crack Hotaru had left in the door. She was holding Naruto so close, like a mother with a wounded child. Usagi gave a soft, melancholy smile before turning and going back to the dining room where Shikamaru was sitting at the table, head in his hands. "Hear, hun, you need to drink something warm." She offered him some tea and he glanced up, an unlit cigarette hanging from his lips. His tired eyes looked to the cup she was handing him, steam rising over its rim. He nodded and took hold of it with bandaged hands, setting it on the table and looking into the foggy green liquid as she sat down beside him.

"You wouldn't let me trade this for warm sake instead, would you?" His laugh was quiet and halfhearted. She smiled, but shook her head, reaching out to touch his arm with gentle fingertips.

"Hotaru would maybe, but I know that's not what you need right now. As she would say, never take your pains to the bottom of a bottle; they only get worse when you climb back out again." He nodded, moving the cigarette limply between his lips, something to subconsciously distract himself from the very thoughts she had just said he was running away from.

"Did you check on him?" She nodded, sitting back and putting her hands in her lap as she did.

"I did. He's fine. He's just tired and in pain." Shikamaru sighed heavily again, closing his eyes and rubbing a hand over them.

She laughed quietly, "You look so much like Asuma-sama...I imagine he's so proud of you." He turned and glanced at her from between his fingers; she couldn't tell if he looked like he was going to cry or fall over from exhaustion. He always looked like that though.

"Not if he saw what happened today." He pushed the tea aside and dropped his face into both hands, hanging lower over the table; Usagi just watched and waited. She was a better listener than most. "He's just...he's good...and he's stronger now than he use to be...but, sometimes..." Shikamaru shook his head, driving the heels of his palms into his eyes.

"There were only two or three...then there were alot of them. It was just supposed to be a stupid run, you know? They weren't supposed to ambush us like that." He turned and looked back at Usagi again, head resting against his hand as he stared past her rather than at her. She gave him a sympathetic look and leaned closer, touching his hand one more time, his green sleeve torn to let her touch burnt and scratched flesh beneath; must've been a sinbon with a paper bomb.

"It's happened so many times before, hun. Naruto knew what he was getting into when he stepped out of the village. He always has." She moved her hand from the wound, opting to pat the still covered flesh above it instead. "He'll be fine. It wasn't so bad, the blast just knocked him a little senseless and is going to make him hurt for a few days. The wound to his chest wasn't as bad as it looked, just a nasty little cut. It was only bleeding so badly due to all the chakra pushing through him...probably the Kyuubi's doing."

He nodded slowly, appearing to study Hotaru's calligraphy scroll behind her. "I saw it this time." He murmured after a moment, making her blink and look at him with slight confusion in her eyes. "Hotaru's always talking about it...Kakashi does too...I've heard stories and figured they were all true...but I never really noticed it. Not in all the long time we've been fighting together." He looked back to her and she gave another slow nod, now knowing what he was talking about. One of Hotaru's greatest fears: the Kyuubi. "It does come out when he fights hard. Even if he's not using those attacks...he takes on like...this otherworldly look...Some kind of beast, you know?" Usagi looked at her lap, biting at the corner of her lip as she nodded. He fell quiet again, both of them thinking on what he had said and what had happened.


	44. Getting in the Way

"Getting in the Way"

"Neh...I wonder if Hotaru's alright..." Nikoru brushed a hand through her hair, pushing some up off the back of her neck as she turned and looked at the door. "I should probably go out there and check on them...I don't even know if they know I'm here." She laughed softly at the last comment, shaking her head and looking down at her lap.

"Don't bother, you'd just get in the way." The comment stung a little, making her turn to look at Hidan as he lounged on his futon, flipping through a book boredly.

"I could help...I mean, poor Naruto was in bad shape when he came in...I'm sure they need me to do SOMETHING." She turned to look back at the door, biting her lip and brushing her hand through her hair again.

Hidan looked up at her, "Is he her fuck buddy or something?" She jolted around, narrowing her eyes at him as he continued to look through the book with slightly lifted brows to show he was listening for a response of worth.

"I'll ASSUME you're talking about Naruto and Hotaru, and no, he isn't. They were in squad together. They're basically brother and sister." He snorted boreddly in retort.

"Don't ASSUME anything, bitch. It makes an ASS out of both YOU and ME." She rolled her eyes at him, moving a bit closer to him and letting her eyes harden.

"Why are YOU in such a pissy mood? Upset you've been banished to your room like a child?" She sat back on her legs and folded her arms over her chest, looking down her nose at him. He glanced up at her, eyes narrowed and flickering.

"Why should I tell you?" She narrowed her own eyes again, still stung by the barbed comment about her "just getting in the way" earlier. She loved Naruto like a best friend. But, she had always felt like she "just got in the way" when it came to his and Hotaru's relationship. It was a very tender spot.

"You are SUCH an ass." She shook her head and turned her back to him, slumping over and looking at the door again, still debating on whether or not she should go out there. He frowned at her back, sitting up a little more as he did. "I bet you don't understand anything about loyalty or friendship...Did you even HAVE a childhood?" It was hard for her to imagine him as a child.

He grabbed her and jerked her backwards, letting her fall into his lap with a small cry. He sneered, forcing her face towards his groin before she shot out her hands and pressed them into his legs to stop herself from going any farther. "Whores shouldn't talk, they should just put their mouths to use by filling them." He shook her a little, still gripping onto her hair painfully tight. She glowered up at him.

"If you put my mouth any closer to that thing I'll bite it off." He let out an annoyed breath of air, quickly letting go of her head and sitting back, almost kneeing her in the face had she not moved fast enough. She sat back, watching him lying on his back and staring up at the ceiling now, an arm draped over his eyes to shield them from the light.

"You're the worst whore I've ever met." She stood up, pulling down her hair and redoing it, turning and heading towards the door.

"I'll take that as a compliment, asshole." He moved his arm and watched her slide her hair pin into place, then step out of the room, shutting the door behind herself without a second glance.

Nikoru heard Hotaru's singing first. She always sang that song-"Run" or something like that? She walked to the door and gently pushed it open, coming in and kneeling behind her friend, touching her shoulder lightly. The girl jumped, startled from whatever reverie she had been lost in, but turned to look at her and relaxed beneath her hand after a second. She turned back to Naruto's sleeping face and Nikoru looked over the boy, seeing some bandages running around the top of his chest and more at a diagonal over his shoulder to cross over the one's around his chest. He had a bandage taped down on his cheek and some of his fingers were wrapped up too. So was one of his legs, from ankle half way up his calf. She sat down beside Hotaru, watching her brush her fingers over his cheek and through his hair, rocking a little as she did.

"Do you know what happened yet?" Hotaru nodded her head, humming quietly now that Nikoru was in the room; almost like she couldn't stop singing to him.

"They were ambushed on a run. There was a bomb...He pushed Shikamaru out of the way." Nikoru smiled gently, letting out a quiet laugh.

"Sounds like Naruto alright." Hotaru laughed quietly too, nodding again.

"Always thinking of others before himself...He never thinks about what it would do to everyone else if he got hurt though..." She looked down at his features again, smoothing her hand over his forehead, feeling the warmth there. He was always warm, like he really was a ray of sunshine she could hold against her.

"Well, he only thinks about protecting those he cares about. You're guilty of it too, Hotaru-chan, so don't be too hard on him." Nikoru touched her shoulder and she smiled at her again, nodding slowly, "You just haven't done it as much for me cause I don't put myself in danger every day like you and he do; but you HAVE done it alot for me." Nikoru giggled as Hotaru managed one alongside her. They sat quietly for a moment, Nikoru thinking of the times Hotaru had to protect her, and Hotaru thinking of the many times she had been protected or tried to protect.

"He just...doesn't think things through..." She murmured and Nikoru looked over at her again, some surprise registering on her face.

"When a friend's life is in danger people tend not to. I mean, do remember all the times he use to counter your stories of him saving you with stories of you saving him? You're just as bad as he is, if not worse." Hotaru bit her lip.

"I do what I have to in order to keep those I love alive." Nikoru nodded in agreement.

"And so does he." Now Hotaru jerked her head up, her eyes hardening against Nikoru, surprising her one more time.

"He should think first though! He never THINKS! Do you know how many COUNTLESS times I've held him like this?" She looked back to Naruto, tears rolling down her cheeks as Nikoru watched her. There was a heavy silence between the two of them for a moment, Naruto seemingly undisturbed by Hotaru's little outburst. Nikoru's eyes flickered over the peace on his sleeping face, watching it only waver every so often. She sighed lightly, toying with the thin chord that was wrapped around her obi, tied in the front with tasseled and beaded strings.

"That bridge still haunts you, doesn't it?" Hotaru flinched at the mention of the water country bridge. The "Great Naruto" bridge now. Nikoru looked off to the side, feeling a bit guilty as she did. "I always liked that story...You made it sound so amazing when you would tell me back in the day. Sometimes, I would wish I had been there with you..." Hotaru looked over at her with horror on her features and she slowly looked back at her. "I wanted to be in on the action too." Hotaru was stunned mute for a long moment.

"Never. Neither Kakashi nor I would've let the boys on that mission if we had known what we were getting into." She looked back at the still sleeping Naruto, her eyes wide and entranced now.

"Everything turned out alright though. The boys did great, each of them got stronger from it, you got stronger, and Naruto got a legacy at age 12." Nikoru giggled, trying to lighten the mood a little, but Hotaru shook her head again.

"We all should've died; it was only by a miracle we made it out of there alive." Nikoru tilted her head before shaking it lightly. It was hard to talk to Hotaru when she was like this. She wasn't herself when one of them got hurt. She suddenly became too protective and sad.

"You stopped telling me that story after a while...why was that?" Hotaru looked back to her and sighed.

"I forgot most of it. Bits and pieces still remain, but most of it is gone. I did it to protect myself without even realizing it." She readjusted Naruto in her lap where he had slipped a little, pulling his head closer to her stomach and wrapping her arm around the front of his body in a hug.

She remembered enough to know she didn't like that memory. She remembered her arm being broken and her ankle shattered. She remembered trying to protect the stupid old man that had gotten them into all of it while Kakashi attempted to protect her. She could remember the ice mirror prison Sasuke and Naruto had been locked in. Hearing their cries of pain and anger through the mist and not being able to do anything about it. And she remembered the scream that turned into a roar...Everything ended after that.

"Why isn't Naruto an anbu?" Hotaru looked over, seeing Nikoru looking at Naruto's stomach where the seal was beginning to show. He must've been dreaming. She shook her head though, trying to push out thoughts of the Kyuubi.

"Anbu's are to protect the Hokage and village, they can never obtain the level of what they are to protect. That and he said he wouldn't do it without me, if he ever did at all." Nikoru nodded slowly, like she understood, then got an image of Naruto beaming in his Hokage uniform and Hotaru standing in front of him partially, gripping a kunai threateningly in her hand, wearing her anbu outfit. The thought made her smile. In her moment of silence Hotaru took up singing again, brushing Naruto's spikes back on his head and rocking slowly once more.


	45. Subconscious Sewers

_~~**~~I kinda LOVE this piece. If you read it, PLEASE tell me what you think in a review. I've never worked with the Kyuubi before, but I got the sudden urge to work out a conversation between him and Naruto after reading some of the comics one day. I kinda love how it came out; like alot XD And I always loved how Naruto's subconscious looks like a leaky sewer system, that always cracked me up. So, again, please tell me what you think when you read this!^^ Thankyou! ~~**~~_

"Internal Sewers"

' _Naruto wandered through the flooded hallway one more time, glancing around at the sewer-like walls and the leaky pipes that lined them. He had seen this place so many times before and never understood what brought him here when it did. "Why does my subconscious look like a badly kept sewer system?" He wondered aloud as he turned a bend, finding himself face-to-face with the over sized gate, sealed by a single strip of paper. Large, glowing red eyes languidly opened to peer out at him from the darkness, a slow leer spreading across the muzzle connected to them, revealing fangs larger than he was. _

_ "Were you napping, Kyuubi-sama?" He stepped as close as he knew to step, pausing and looking at the padlock beneath the paper seal on the gate before him. _

_ "Yes...your infant of a friend was singing." Naruto blinked in some confusion._

_ "Hotaru-chan? She's grown up, she's not a baby." The giant kitsune chuckled menacingly, lifting its head to look down at him as it did. _

_ "No matter how old you become, you all will always be infants in my eyes. Your life is but a blink to me, child." Naruto thought about this, then looked at him in feigned and sarcastic surprise, though there was still wonder beneath it._

_ "So every time you blink someone dies, Kyuubi-sama?" _

_ This probably was the most casual conversation he had ever had with the Kyuubi and, to be honest, he didn't want to make it a habit. He got bad feelings when he talked to the creature. Whether it was because it was a demon or because it seemed every time he talked to him something bad was happening, he didn't know, nor cared to ask. The fox laughed again, sending ripples through the water at their feet as he did. "I suppose you could look at it that way, yes." Naruto scoughed, turning away to grumble his next words beneath his breath._

_ "Don't blink anymore then." He linked his hands behind his back idly while looking at the green hued water surrounding him. _

_ The Kyuubi grinned, leaning close enough to press his black nose against the bars containing him. "I would blink every second of every day if it would help." Naruto turned and glared back at him._

_ "It's comments like that, that make me hate having you in me! Why do you enjoy killing so much?" The kitsune sat back, leering one more time as he did, his features glowing in the darkness surrounding him, giving him a cheshire appearance. _

_ "I kill because it is in my nature, child. You should understand this." _

_ Naruto stomped a foot, splashing himself a little, "Don't blame this on "nature"! It's in my nature to-" He cut himself off, pausing and glancing at the ground as he realized he did everything nature wanted him to do. The Kyuubi stepped forward, waiting on him to continue, the judgmental grin still plastered across his muzzle. "Well, Hotaru's nature is to-" He paused there too, frowning and cursing at himself for not being able to finish up his snappy comeback. _

_ The Kyuubi laughed, this time it was loud and shook the ground, almost making him lose his balance. "Foolish little one. We do as our nature commands. No one can go against what the gods have programmed them to do." Naruto looked up at him, biting at his lip again. _

_ "The gods didn't program you to kill on a whim! They wouldn't do something like that!" The fox put its nose to the bars again, his breath hot against his skin as it rushed over him in a wave. _

_ "They made me to be a natural disaster. I protect those who would be overrun by the humans if it were not for me. If I gain pleasure from what I do it is no fault of the gods." Naruto paused, looking at the ground as he let the animal's words sink in. _

_ "But, you kill innocent people...mothers and their children...who did nothing to deserve it." He mumbled, but the Kyuubi shook its head, reaching a paw up to scratch at the metal before it, bending the gates outward a bit. Naruto took a step back, always wondering how such a powerful creature was held back by some scraps of iron and a bit of paper. _

_ "They deserved it merely for living. Humans would destroy everything the gods created, even themselves, if it would only gain them a bit of metal or paper in their pocket. I am the counter balance to that." Naruto lifted a brow, putting a hand on his hip as he did. _

_ "You make it sound like you're something good and not a monster." He smirked, but the Kyuubi sat back, his smiling having faded, only his glowing eyes left. _

_ "Only your kind sees me as a monster, child. I am only what the gods created me to be." Naruto's lips parted in some surprise as the demon's words suddenly made sense to him. But, it took the step forward once more and leered again, "I am only a monster because I thrive to hear your kind scream as they die beneath my paws and in the grasp of my jaws." Naruto shook his head and frowned._

_ "I can't believe I listened to you. Take another nap or something." He turned his head, folding his arms over his chest and sulking as he tried to wash what the beast had said out of his mind. The fox took its turn to snort now, making another heat wave hit him as it looked to the side also. _

_ "The girl isn't singing." It grumbled bitterly as it said this._

_ He turned to look back at the animal with a small grin, "Awww, do you like Hotaru-chan's voice that much? Does she put you to sleepy?" He cooed mockingly at it, smirking and wiggling his butt as he put his hands on his hips and made faces. The animal lunged, snarling as it slammed into the cage and Naruto fell onto his backside in shock. _

_ "I do not do it willingly! The fool understands as little as you do when she does it!" After a moment it settled back, retreating into the darkness again, sitting up straight to only look at him with glowering eyes. _

_ Naruto sat up a little, still blinking in surprise that the animal had reacted so violently to his taunts. "S-so...Hotaru-chan can make you go away?" He ran a wet hand through his hair before looking up at the Kyuubi again, seeing it turn its eyes away from him and his question. _

_ "I will never go away. I will always be imprisoned within you." It smirked, looking back at him with its fangs showing again, "But, no one had the foresight to wonder what would happen when you died." Naruto shook his head, huffing in indigence that the animal would think him so dumb._

_ "You can't get me with that one. I'm not stupid. You die with me." The animal's smile faded again, another snort of disapproval leaving it as it did. _

_ Naruto sighed again and pulled his knees up, draping his arms over them as he did, deciding to sit a little longer since he was already wet. "Hotaru-chan says you manipulate me..." The kitsune looked towards him again, watching the top of his head as he stared at his reflection in the water he now sat in. _

_ "The infant girl must say many things about me for you to mention her so often." He glanced up at him, hefting yet another sigh. _

_ "She doesn't like to see me hurt. She has nightmares about me and you...She thinks I'm a monster when I'm you." He looked down when he muttered this, his hands linked together between his knees, eyes softened with pain. They Kyuubi bent its head, nudging at the bars with the narrow tip of its snout gain._

_ "How do you know she doesn't appreciate my forms when linked with you?" He grinned and Naruto frowned up at him. _

_ "Because she screams about it in her sleep. You hurt me...She says you're destroying me...And she's afraid you're going to kill me." _

_ The fox laughed and lifted its head again, "For having so much insight she still is easily fooled. Perhaps I should be in her. She would then know what your burden is." Naruto frowned, unable to tell if the animal was saying it in a protective way or if it was saying it to just to hear its own voice._

_ "I would never wish that on Hotaru-chan. But, at least if you were in her she'd take you down a peg or two." The yellow orbs of fire turned towards him again, half of his upper lip drawing back in a snarl as Naruto smirked at it. "You wouldn't be able to so easily convince her to use you like you do me." The animal lunged at the fence again, knocking him back one more time, making waves in the water to wash over him as he lie on his back for a second. _

_ "She would be even EASIER for me to use! She's weak and simple! More foolish than YOU even!" It hit the fence again, sending more luke warm waves over him as he quickly stood up and glared. _

_ "Don't talk about Onee-san like that! You sound just like everyone who's ever hurt her!" He kicked at the water, wanting to run at the fence, but knowing it would be a stupid mistake and most likely cost him his life. The Kyuubi sat back and chuckled again, seeming to notice his hitch as he caught his mistake._

_ "Why do you think so many have hurt her, child?" He growled up at the animal, baring his teeth as he did, clenching his fists at his sides. _

_ "Because she's nice! Because she gives everyone a second chance! And a third, and a fourth! Until she can't do anything else for them!" _

_ The fox blinked slowly at him, "Because she's simple and easily tricked into feeling pity for those who do not need it. I see her through your eyes. I feel your rage every time you see her heart crushed before you." It bent its head down one more time, hissing at him now, its eyes narrowed. "You're the only one who CAN'T make her do something. The only one she won't listen to, child." Naruto looked away, shaking his head and biting his lip hard enough to draw blood. "She listens to me...She loves me. She just-She DOES listen to me." He took in a breath, knowing the Kyuubi only knew his fears because they were part of each other; it still ached to hear someone speak such a deep fear aloud. _

_ He looked up, hearing a soft voice drifting down the hallway, swirling around him in a calming caress that felt familiar. "Hotaru..." He looked down the hallway the voice seemed to be coming from, then looked back at the Kyuubi. It had laid back down, resting its head on one of its huge paws as its eyes started to droop. _

_ "Cursed girl..." It grumbled in annoyance before its body settled heavily with another long sigh. _

_ "Wait, Kyuubi-sama, if you and I were linked and Hotaru sang, could she make it better?" He dashed forward, reaching out to stop the fox from falling asleep, but its breathing was already slowing and measuring out, a low rumble emitting from its chest. _

_ "Doesn't know what she...Foolish mortal..." He grumbled again, Naruto running over to the gate and grabbing at one of the bars that was as thick as he was. _

_ "Kyuubi-sama! Hey, you stupid fox! Wake up! Answer my question!" He kicked at the gate, listening to its clanging rattle echo throughout the room, disrupting the peace the song had brought on. Apparently it disturbed the kitsune because its upper lip drew back and it let out a low snarl, though it never opened its eyes. "Dammit! You dumb kitsune!" He kicked the gate one more time before spinning around and walking forward, listening to the song again. He closed his eyes, forcing himself to continue moving, though his body felt like it would give beneath him any moment. _

_ He managed to drag himself to the corner, leaning heavily against it as he fought off what he assumed to be sleep trying to over take him. How did your subconscious fall asleep though? He collapsed to his knees, slumping against the wall as the voice echoed in his ears and his eyes finally closed. "Louder, louder, and we'll run fo-r our lives...I can hardly speak I under-stand...why you can't waste your voice to say..." _'


	46. Fickle Hopes

"Fickle Hopes"

"Hotaru!" Naruto shot up, wincing a little at the pain that bolted through him as he did. "Neh...my head..." He pressed a hand to the side of his head, closing one eye as he did, touching the bandages going across his chest.

"Did you have a bad dream, NaruNaru?" He quickly looked over, seeing Hotaru sitting at his side, her eyes tired.

"Hotaru-chan, how long have you been singing to me?" She smiled, brushing hair behind her ears, all of it down and around her shoulders for once.

"Not long, just a few hours." He nodded slowly, looking down at his stomach and brushing a hand over it.

"I talked to Kyuubi-sama again." She blinked in some surprise, scooting towards him and pulling him into her arms. He slumped, falling back against her chest and looking up at her with big blue eyes, glad for the warmth and comfort she gave off. Sitting up had hurt too much, to be honest. "I don't know why I was there...I don't usually talk to him unless he's telling me something or I'm upset...But, there I was." He shrugged and she nodded slowly, resting her chin atop his head with a soft sigh.

"Probably because you're getting more and more use to him." She murmured softly, looking away as she did. He tilted his head back against her breasts, looking up at her with some concern.

"He had been napping. I think that's why I was there." She sat up and blinked a little, furrowing her brow at him.

"He sleeps?" He sat up a little, turning to face her, propping up on one arm across her lap.

"Apparently only when you sing, Nee-san. We talked for a little bit, but when you started to sing again he fell asleep almost immediately. Too fast to answer any more questions at least." She put her hand to her mouth in surprise, watching him for a bit before saying anything, not knowing what to say.

"Do you think if you-" She cut herself off, looking down at his arm and running her fingers over it absentmindedly. He shook his head and shrugged as best he could.

"I don't know, I tried to ask, but he fell asleep." She nodded slowly, still not looking up at him. "It could be possible though, I mean, you always get through to Gaara when he's having, what do you call them? "Break Downs"?" She closed her eyes and shook her head slowly.

"No, that's only when he's halfway there...in that in between state. I couldn't do anything when he actually let himself go, remember?" Naruto nodded that he did, looking at his arm and her lap too, reaching out and putting his free hand on top of hers. He shook his head, not wanting to remember fighting by Sasuke or remember fighting Gaara...or Hotaru being wounded by him. He liked Gaara, he just had trouble looking at him sometimes because of what he did to her.

"Anyways, let's go get you something to eat and let Shikamaru know you're okay. He's been sitting with Usagi and Nikoru worried about you all afternoon." He smiled and sat up, letting her stand up and pull her hair back before turning to help him to his feet. He could walk, but it wasn't very easy, nor was it very fun. She kept an arm around his waist just incase anyways, making him laugh.


	47. Reliving Memories

_~~**~~Right, right, okay, a few things to say here. Hotaru and Naruto, because of their views of each other as more a sibling than anything else, don't care about being naked around each other. Happens all the time lol They didn't as kids, and they don't know; but, Usagi thinks it's improper for them to be in the bath together-unless a designated area-or naked around each other at all, now that they're both basically adults. So, she tends to try and keep them apart, hence why they're sneaking around in this first part. And "eroi" means "sexual", "ecchi" means "temptingly perverted" (like if you could see a girl's panties beneath her skirt, that would be "ecchi")~~**~~_

"Reliving Memories"

Naruto grinned and grabbed hold of her wrist, pulling her towards the door and snickering. "Come on, Onee-san! We use to do it all the time as kids!" Hotaru giggled and covered her mouth with her free hand, shaking her head before attempting to tug out of his grasp.

"You make it sound so eroi, NaruNaru! We were just kids, we weren't thinking!" He grinned even bigger, nodding his head quickly before opening the door and starting to tug her out into the hallway, glancing around to make sure the coast was clear before hand.

"I know, but it's not so bad now! You own this place, we don't have to worry about getting caught!" She laughed aloud, tugging for him to let go still, but following him all the same. She covered her mouth and glanced around to make sure no one had heard, then giggled again.

"It's still not something we should do, silly! Usagi Nee-san will hit us both." He laughed as they came to the door, nodding one more time.

"But she'll be smiling the whole time!" They snickered together again and he slid open the door, pulling her through before shutting it behind them, double checking one more time to make sure they weren't followed. "Besides, they're all doing something right now."

She looked out over the bath, the afternoon sunlight making the steamy waters sparkle beneath rolling clouds of fog. A bamboo pipe spilt fresh water into the boulder surrounded basin, the whole area smelling of minerals and heat. She was still standing a good ways away from the hot spring and her skin was already becoming muggy beneath her yukata. Naruto took her wrist once more, starting to pull her towards the blocked off shower area, his fingers soon sliding down to wrap around her own as he continued. Studying him, as he led her along, made her notice how determined he seemed to do this. As if, doing something like this again, would bring back some piece of childhood they had lost together over the years.

"Naruto-kun..." He smiled over his shoulder at her, his yukata sliding down his lithe shoulder as his arm stretched towards her to pull her along.

"We can't get in the springs without a shower, Nee-san!" He laughed and she giggled, blushing behind her hand one more time, nodding her head.

"Of course not." With that they came up to the shower and he released her hand, running over to turn it on and grab the stool that set off to the side. He shed his yukata in a hurry, sitting down and putting his soap and cloth at his feet, leaning on his bent knees and grinning over at her in that innocent, mischievous way. "Don't look, silly! I'll be embarrassed!" She flushed red and waved him off. He waved her away dismissively, but turned and looked at the ground like she wanted him to.

"You always only get embarrassed near the baths, Hotaru Nee-san." She giggled and derobed, leaving it in the drier area and walking over behind him, sitting down on another stool.

"Because it's embarrassing! I told you, we're not kids anymore, NaruNaru." She cooed quietly, the warm water rushing over her as she thread her fingers through his blonde hair, sliding a hand down his back and leaning forward to grab the shampoo. He laughed again, sitting up a little straighter, still looking forward to make her happy.

"Yeah, but you have to admit you miss doin' this sort've thing. It's like...we didn't have much to worry about then, you know? Like you wanna go back to just being able to worry about getting caught sneaking a girl into the guy's bath." He dropped his head, feeling her beginning to massage the shampoo into his scalp like she use to, laughing softly at memories that had been dancing in front of his eyes all day.

He didn't know why he had suddenly thought of doing this today, it just sort've struck him. And, as soon as he realized the memories weren't going to go away, he realized he wanted to do it instead of just remembering it. He wanted this piece of childhood back. He wanted this memory back. A new memory to tack onto the old one, so that he would never forget that old one again.

"I do miss things like that, NaruNaru. I miss them alot." She murmured quietly, patting above his ear to make him drop his head back a little. He did so, smiling at her gently, watching her focused but calm eyes in the sunlight.

"You would be so loud. And remember the first time Sasuke was there with us? You scared him so bad when we ran in together!" He laughed happily and she giggled, remembering Sasuke jumping up out of the water instinctively before dunking back in with the reddest blush she had ever seen. It had been so long since she thought about him being that little. That had been before they were in squad together and she and Naruto were just getting to know one another. "Wonder if he thought about that the first time he saw you in class."

She thought about it for a second, now wondering the same thing, glancing off to the side as she did. When he saw her come into class did he suddenly remember the loud, naked little seven year old girl that had scared the hell out of him in the bath one day? She looked back at Naruto's face, glad she did when she did, and caught some soap before it went into his eyes. "I have no idea...now I want to ask him."

She laughed softly, making him smile again before he lifted his head up and stand to rinse his hair out as she soaped up a cloth for him. He was so glad she didn't break into fits every time he mentioned Sasuke now. You could tell it still upset her and you could tell she didn't like talking about him, but small comments like that one didn't have her in hysterics anymore. It made breathing alot easier around her, he had to admit.

"Hey! You got the perfumy soap on purpose!" Naruto lifted up an arm to sniff at the sickly sweet smell now coming off his moist skin. He pinched his nose up and she giggled, rubbing the cloth over the arm he was sniffing one more time, for good measure.

"You should've known my soaps were perfumed!" She muffed his wet hair, sending water droplets everywhere as she did.

"You're so mean! Kiba's gonna pick on me when I get home tonight!" He huffed, whining a little as she giggled and kissed his cheek, rubbing the cloth down muscles in his back that she didn't remember him having.

"Well, you tell him I put it on you and I'll kick his butt if he hurts your feelings." She grinned, nudging her cheek against his own, snickering as he grinned and pushed back against her.

"I'm not ten anymore, Onee-san." She sat back and soaped up his second arm, smiling brightly.

"I know that, but I can still kick Kiba's butt for being a jerk. If it just HAPPENS to be because of something he said to you I can't help it." He laughed and stood up as she patted his arm to show him she was done. He rinsed off with his back to her as she soaped up herself. When he was done he went ahead and started around the wall to the hot spring.

"Hurry up, Nee-san! So slow!" He grinned as she threw her cloth at him and he scampered around the corner just before it hit him. Hotaru smiled softly, walking beneath the shower even further and running her hands through her hair, relaxing completely for the first time in a while. Just knowing Naruto was on the other side of that wall, waiting on her like a little kid, and ready to protect her from anyone that dared to even look at her wrong, made everything seem okay for a moment.

"So, are you happy to have the girls here with you, Nee-san?" He glanced over at her as she lay back against one of the larger boulders, her arms up and draped over it out to her sides, her legs floating out in front of her beneath the surface of the muggy water, treading it slowly. She glanced up at the azure color of the sky above her, making a face as she thought about it. He laughed quietly and she did too, shrugging and looking back over at him.

"To an extent. I love having them around again, all of us under one roof and everything, but I don't like having them HERE. You know? I don't want to put them in danger, but they just don't seem to want to listen." She sighed and dropped her hands into the water, slumping a little as she did. He swam over and tread in front of her, tilting his head a bit before she looked up at him.

"They're your friends. They're going to stay here and take care of you until you can take care of yourself." She gave a half smirk and reached up, pushing his head under the water lightly, watching him bounce back to the surface with a small cough and grin.

"I can take care of myself better than anyone." She giggled as he tried to push her under water, but she did her best to resist his hands. Finally he actually put some force into it and she sunk beneath the warmth, quickly reaching out to tickle his stomach though, making him release her and jump back as she surfaced and laughed loudly. "Tickling's illegal, Nee-san!" He grinned and lunged at her with his hands outstretched. She ducked to the side, quickly swimming away and laughing over her shoulder as he made a u-turn and started after her.

"It's only illegal if you get caught!" She grinned and he laughed again, making a jump for her, but missing and falling into the water instead.

"I'll have to catch you then!" She squealed as he got up and started after her one more time.


	48. Caught

_~~**~~Okay, one more thing. Since there was a time lapse in front of that last piece("reliving baths")and I forgot to mention it. When Naruto gets up Shikamaru leaves and heads back home, wanting Naruto to come with him. But, Naruto doesn't get to see Hotaru and the girls that often, so he decides to stay for the night. Now, he doesn't know who the Akatsuki are. He know's there is a group out there looking for jinchurikis and their bijus, but he doesn't know what they look like. So, he DOESN'T know Hidan and Kakuzu when they come into this piece, he just knows they are some of the men that are staying in the girou for the "night". -cut me some slack, I had to make it fit in with the story ;p ~~**~~_

"Caught"

"I don't care what you say, Geezer, you look more like a zombie than I do. Least I look normal." Hidan thumbed at himself as he tossed a hand towel over his shoulder. "I mean damn, I'm better than normal, I'm just fucking sexy." Kakuzu rolled his eyes and opened the door, holding onto his little bucket of toiletries with a quivering hand as he strained not to hit the man.

"I said drop it, Hidan." He growled over his shoulder, shaking his head as he stepped outside into the sunshine. He preferred to take his baths at night, but the tall girl had insisted they take them now because they needed to get out of the "house".

"You're just jealous, old man." Hidan grinned and snickered, shutting the door behind himself and looking up.

"Hey, do you hear it to?" He frowned and Kakuzu paused, nodding his head. It sounded like laughter. A girl's laughter. In the men's bath.

"All the girls are inside." He grumbled, moving forward to see if someone had snuck over the gate or something. He froze and so did Hidan.

"Ow! Hey! You can't do that!" Naruto grinned as he tugged at her hair lightly, starting to pull her beneath the water from behind. "Oh no you don't, Naruto!" She spun out of his grasp and reached for him, but he caught her hands, both of them starting to grapple. Naruto laughed brightly.

"I'll take you down, Onee-san! I've already caught you, now I'll punish you!" She giggled, shaking her head as she aimed to push him backwards, their hands shaking with their almost matched strength.

"You're so eroi and don't even know it, NaruNaru." She giggled happily as he shook her comment off and kept going. "Annd...now!" Hotaru released his hands and ducked beneath the water, spinning around and swimming away.

"Ahh! Hey! Get back here!" Naruto cried out, diving for her but falling into the water. She surfaced quickly, climbing up one of the rocks and out of the hot spring. "Hey! Fish out of water, fish out of water!" Naruto pointed at her, calling out and laughing as she threw her hands up in mock exasperation.

"We're not playing that game, silly!"

"What the hell IS this?" Hotaru turned and looked over her shoulder, seeing Hidan and Kakuzu standing there and staring at them. Towels were wrapped around their waists and each of them we're holding their little bucket of toiletries, ready to take a shower. Kakuzu even had his head gear off, showing her the grimly stitched smile that stretched across the lower half of his face. Naruto turned to see what she was looking at with such big eyes. "I thought you two we're just friends or family or something? Isn't this fucking incest?" Hidan grinned and rubbed the back of his head as Kakuzu put his hand over his eyes and groaned inwardly. Hotaru screeched, covering herself with her hands and doubling over.

"PERVERTS!"

Naruto glared, "Stop looking at Hotaru-chan!" Hidan whipped his head back around to the still partially submerged boy, Kakuzu glancing over at him with an uplifted brow as well.

"What if I don't want to, brat? She's the fuck up that's in the men's bath." Hidan sneered, violet eyes glimmering as he pointed to the still upset Hotaru. Something predatory glinted in the azure of Naruto's eyes, Kakuzu's arm tensing as he watched the boy wade purposefully towards Hidan. Scabs still marred his lithe form, crossing over his chest and stomach, others decorating him in thin lines. Hidan grinned, sensing the challenge, and tilted his chin with a smirk. "I'd suggest you keep your scrawny ass in the water, brat. I'll mop the floor with you if you don't."

Hotaru glanced up, gasping as she heard Naruto lift himself out of the water. Sweet as it was that he wanted to protect her, these men did not need to tangle with him. She'd be upset if Naruto got hurt, she'd kill them for it, and then Kisame would be upset that his team mates were dead and Usagi would take it out on her. Not to mention Nikoru and her little crush on Hidan. "You've got a big mouth! You're the pervert who walked in here and started drooling over Onee-san!" Naruto sounded like his childish-self as he spoke, but Hotaru, who had been around him enough to know, caught the changes in his chakra.

Kakuzu shifted, looking as though he wanted to protect his piggish friend. Hidan was stating to move towards Naruto, going to meet him in the middle of what was about to be their little arena. Hotaru wouldn't have that either. They couldn't afford to redo this bath right now. "You're a cocky little snot, aren't yah? Do you KNOW who I am, little boy?" Hidan touched the amulet that hung over his chest, his second hand in the folds of his towel behind his back. Hotaru wouldn't be surprised if he had a knife, the cheating bastard. "Do you KNOW what I could DO to you?" Naruto stopped and folded his arms over his chest proudly, obviously uncaring of his lack of clothing.

"I'm Uzamaki Naruto! I'm going to be Hokage one day!" Hidan blinked in some confusion, Hotaru biting back a snicker as she wondered if that had simply cut all the tension and everything was going to be fine now. Instead Hidan's face contorted in something close to rage, as though Naruto had mocked him.

"I didn't ASK who you were, dick. I ASKED if you knew who -I- was!" Hidan's hand shot forward, Kakuzu's entire body tensing, sickly colored eyes widening as the threads began to unwind and hiss from his body. Naruto blocked the strike, pushing Hidan's arm away with a fluidity Hotaru didn't think she had ever seen him possess. He moved to strike Hidan in the nose, eyes flickering that same predatory red they had before, his smile casual. It then occurred to Hotaru that she hadn't seen her friend fight in a very long time; and apparently hadn't realized how strong he had gotten.

"STOP IT!" Naruto fell backwards with a cry of surprise, landing on his backside and skittering across the pavement. Hidan did the same, roaring in outrage as Kakuzu caught him and righted him at his side. Naruto's heart was hammering so fast in his chest his body was moving with it. He glanced over at Hotaru, something between fear and confusion splayed across his face. Hidan snarled, upper lip drawing back as he cracked his neck menacingly, flicking his vicious gaze between the suddenly vulnerable Naruto and Hotaru. Kakuzu simply watched with mild, detached interest.

Hotaru panted softly, standing straight as she dropped her arm back down to her side, eying them all slowly. Her hair fell over her shoulders, covering most of her body from view, her second hand casually attempting to hide her shame, though she didn't seem to be thinking about the action as she did it. Smoke wafted from her fingertips as they bumped her thigh, her slender fingers twitching anxiously every now and then as she tried to control her flow of chakra once more. It had been too long since she had done something like that; she was more rusty than she wanted to admit.

"Now, everyone's going to be calm and rational about this. Naruto and I will go back inside, Kakuzu, you and Hidan can stay out here and bathe like you want. We will NOT speak of this again and NO ONE will touch ANYONE." She let her gaze harden on Hidan, sensing the blood lust in them. He snorted at her, Naruto getting up off the ground and grumbling as he rubbed his backside and started towards her with his head hung tiredly.

"Since when do I listen to you, bitch? I'll do as I damn well please, and right now, I'm going to show this little boy what S-" Kakuzu reached out and wrapped a hand towel around the lower half of Hidan's mouth, jerking it tight to keep any more words from spilling. Hidan writhed in his new gag, eyes livid with the mortification of being upstaged and made to look like a fool.

Naruto laughed aloud, only serving to make things worse, Hidan reaching out and sinking a punch into Kakuzu's shoulder. The stitched man only flinched, his gaze never leaving Hotaru, even as the laughing Naruto saddled in front of her to protect her from view and point at the struggling Hidan. Kakuzu reached behind Hidan with his free hand, extending threads to grab the two yukatas from the dry area near them, snaking them over to Naruto and Hotaru.

"Th-thank you..." Hotaru mumbled, knowing he could hear her as she slid the light weight garment over her shoulders and pulled her hair out of it, coming around Naruto as she glanced down and belted it loosely. Naruto shrugged his on as well, tilting his head in open mouthed wonder as Kakuzu's hand slithered back to its rightful place at his side, the corded threads looping and pulling tight against his skin once more.

"That's so COOL! How do you DO that? Is it a jutsu or something? Can you teach ME?" Naruto started forward again, Hidan stilling as his eyes landed on the oncoming boy. Hotaru grabbed Naruto's shoulder, pausing him mid-stride.

"Naru-kun, come inside with me. We'll get you some ramen on your stomach and you can talk to Kakuzu-san a bit later about his jutsus." Naruto looked over to her with bright eyes, nodding happily enough.

"Alright, come on, Onee-san. You need to get away from that pervert anyways." He stuck his tongue out at Hidan as they passed, Hotaru unable to stop the giggle in her throat from escaping. She turned and shut the door on the men, bowing her head once more to Kakuzu as he watched her with one eye over his shoulder. She got to see the gag leaving Hidan's face, hear the silver haired man cursing the bane of Kakuzu's existence, and got to watch Kakuzu reach out to punch Hidan in the shoulder as he started for the bath. She giggled again, shut the door all the way, and turned back to the beaming Naruto and his outstretched hand. "So who WERE those guys, Nee-san?" Hotaru shook it off with another small laugh, taking his hand and threading her fingers through his own as they started down the hall together.

"No one. Just some customers that needed lodgings for a bit. The silver haired one is stupid as hell, but his companion is nice, in his own way."


	49. Unexpected, Unwanted

_~~**~~WARP! Time Lapse! XD Okay, so, Naruto's left and it's obviously been a while since anyone else has come to the girou. The girls are getting very comfortable with living with the Akatsuki by now, apparently. So, all I have to tell you for this one-other than all of that-is about Hotaru's jutsus. As you all know she was a ninja, almost made it to anbu, Sasuke leaving made her abandon the anbu though and run to start the girou in hopes of pissing him off bad enough to draw him back to her. _

_What y'all DON'T really know is: Hotaru's father killed himself after coming home from the Sand Village(on business with tiny Hotaru in tow)to find his wife and baby daughter dead(slaughtered by Itachi in the Uchiha Clan Massacre). She became a ninja because of her father's wish for her to. She was taken in by Kakashi(one of her father's closest friends)and has basically become Kakashi's legacy. She is another copy cat ninja, but is known as the Fire Leopard of Konoha. She basically uses a mix of jutsus and so on, that she's picked up from other people, and uses her own Uchiha jutsus; but, she's not very fond of any of the jutsus and prefers hand-to-hand combat over it all.~~**~~_

"Unexpected, Unwanted"

"Here, honey." Hotaru glanced up as Usagi set a cup of tea down in front of her.

"Hmm? I didn't ask for any though." She looked back at her cards, playing a game of solitaire to entertain herself.

"No, but I thought it'd be nice. The weather's getting chillier and chillier out there, you don't want to catch a cold." Usagi sat down next to her, pulling a card off her deck and placing it for her. Hotaru frowned a bit, glancing up at her from the corner of her eye again, "It's called "solitaire" for a reason, Usa-chan." Usagi giggled and waved her off, but let her go back to her game and left it alone.

She sipped at her own tea, glancing out of the tiny window on the back wall, sunlight filtering through it. "I suppose we'll have to get out the winter kimonos soon..." She murmured, hating to think about having to go out to that dusty old shed.

"Not for a bit...we've still got a month or so." Hotaru was ready for the change of wardrobe, but not at the same time. The winter kimonos were so thick and heavy, she always felt weighted down with one on; though the summer ones weren't THAT much better. You could still tell the difference though. But, the winter kimonos always had such prettier pictures stitched onto them. She loved to look at them so much more than the summer ones they had been wearing recently.

"Usa-chan! Usa-chan!" Nikoru ran into the room, panting softly as she beamed at them. Hotaru glanced up and over her shoulder, seeing Tobi come tumbling into the room behind her.

"What is it, baby girl?" Usagi smiled, but Nikoru didn't seem to hear her, rather looked over her shoulder with big eyes as Tobi scrambled across the tatami mats towards her.

"Wahh! Tobi-kun's going to get me!" She squealed like a small child, giggling and running to the other side of the table, Tobi laughing almost as hard as she was.

"Tobi's going to eat Nikoru-chan! Nom, nom, nom!" He waved his arms at her, chasing her around the table a few times as she squeaked and squealed, Usagi giggling and watching them. Hotaru shook her head tiredly but, smiled all the same, still studying her next move in her personal card game.

"No-o! Don't eat me, Tobi-kun!" Tobi tackled Nikoru to the floor on the other side of the room from them, wrestling with her gently and tickling her as she laughed and writhed in front of him.

"Be careful, you two. Don't get that kimono hurt." Usagi pointed a finger at them before taking another sip of her tea, knowing they weren't listening to a damned thing she said. Tobi bent his head down and pressed it to Nikoru's cheek, still "nom nomming" at her, but she laughed even louder when just the smooth ridges of the swirls of his mask smeared against her face rather than his mouth.

"Tobi-kun can't bite me through his mask, silly!" She giggled and kicked her feet a little as he tickled her again, lifting his head to grin down at her.

"Tobi supposes you're right, Nikoru-chan." He giggled and she did too, blushing softly before reaching up and pushing him to his back on the floor, tickling him now as he laughed aloud.

Hotaru looked up suddenly, her eyes narrowing as she sniffed the air. Usagi frowned slightly, "What is it, Hotaru-chan?" She reached out and touched the smooth surface of the table, watching Hotaru glance over her shoulder and out of the open dining room door.

"We have a guest." She grumbled and turned to look back to her cards, shaking her head and brushing her fingers beneath her nose, as if getting the smell to go away. Usagi turned and looked at the door too, Nikoru and Tobi pausing to look also. "Someone we need to worry about?" Usagi glanced at Hotaru, but she shrugged, placing a ten of diamonds beneath a nine of spades.

"It smells sort've familiar...but, it's still too far away to tell as is." Usagi gave her a look that said she hadn't helped much. She shrugged again, "I'd put them away just incase. Better safe than sorry. And it's getting closer." Usagi nodded and stood up, quickly walking to the doorway before looking over her shoulder at the still frozen Tobi and Nikoru, who were tangled around each other cutely.

"Nikoru-chan, please go see if you see Zetsu-san outside and tell him to be kind enough to stay out of sight for a bit. Tobi-kun, come with me, let's go tell Deidara-kun and the others what's going on." Tobi scrambled up and beamed.

"Sempai and I can color while we wait! Maybe we can do an art trade!" Usagi smiled as Nikoru got up and resituated herself, listening to them leave the room as she did too. Soon Hotaru was the only one in the room again. After a moment she heard the front door open and saw Nikoru shut the door to the courtyard, coming over and seating herself at the table by her.

"Oh my! What a pleasant surprise!" They heard Usagi coo outside in the hallway, both of them rolling their eyes at how she was polite even to those that disgusted her. Nikoru leaned over, holding up her hand and glancing back at the door.

"Can you smell who it is?" She hissed, making Hotaru look up slowly. She honestly had shut down the chakra to her nose, hoping to NOT smell the person that she most likely was going to have to screw. She didn't like getting heartbroken when she found out it wasn't a friend dropping in, rather a customer.

"Hang on." She closed her eyes and focused thin streams of chakra into her nostrils again. When she did the smell flooded over her, hitting her so hard she jerked her eyes open and coughed. Nikoru looked up at her in some surprise, pulling back a little as Hotaru looked at her with something between awe struck recognition and shock. "Go to your room." There were footsteps coming down the hallway and she could hear Usagi trying to idly make conversation, but it was failing miserably; she was basically talking to herself.

Nikoru looked confused, "Why? I don't understand." Hotaru reached out and grabbed her arm, shoving her away from the table gruffly, causing her to squeak in surprise.

"Just DO IT! You said you'd LISTEN to me!" Suddenly they were standing right behind them. Nikoru looked up first, getting up off the floor and righting herself at the table again. Hotaru's body stilled and tensed, her eyes focused heatedly on the cards in front of her now. Usagi cleared her throat softly, treating it as though the girls simpy hadn't seen her.

"Girls, we have a long awaited guest." Nikoru looked at the table again eyes hardened. She bit at her lip almost hard enough to draw blood. Hotaru could feel eyes boring holes into the back of her head. She closed her eyes and took a breath, then gave a soft, half smile, and slowly turned around, cards in her hands, as if she had been about to put one down casually. Their eyes locked and her breath caught in her throat. It had been a LONG time.


	50. Just Dropping In

_~~**~~Only side note are some words. "Jinchuriki" are the "humans who house one of the tailed demons within them"; there are nine. "Bijus" are "the tailed demons housed within humans"; again, there are nine.~~**~~_

"Just Dropping In"

"Ahhh, Gaara-kun! I didn't know it was you, I would've abandoned my game to meet you at the door!" She watched him regard her with those bloodless eyes that he looked at everyone else with. These days she rarely got to see GAARA'S eyes. "Why in the world did you come all the way out here again?" She got up and smiled brightly, setting her cards down and walking over to him.

She wrapped her arms around him, able to feel the warmth of his sun baked skin beneath her own. He barely put his fingers on her lower back before stepping away from her. "I was on business and decided to come by. I see you have another to keep you company." He was glancing over her shoulder at Nikoru as he said this; she was still focused on her reflection on the table. Hotaru nodded and smiled, stepping back and gesturing for him to come into the room.

"Oh yes, Nikoru-chan decided to come stay with us for a bit. She gets so lonely on those trips her father takes her on." She giggled softly, giving him her seat at the table, kneeling next to him and gathering up the cards she had spread out on the table. He glanced down at the worn and tattered pieces of paper.

"I've never seen you play with those." She looked at the cards, then at him, blushing lightly as she wrapped the frayed piece of rope around them again and handed them to Nikoru, who took them numbly.

"Their Nikoru-chan's. They were her father's apparently." Nikoru nodded stiffly at the remark and put the cards in her lap, breathing a bit quicker beneath her silken shell. Hotaru had actually stolen them from Hidan a little after their botched poker game. She had been hiding them from him for a while now and he still had yet to realize it was her that had jacked them. She was refusing to give them back until he stopped being an ass or he realized it was her and asked for them back. So far, neither had happened. Now the girls just played with them, hoping he would come in and catch them red handed, and snickering together about his stupidity.

Hotaru sat down across from Nikoru, upset that she was still in the room, but unable to say a damned thing. "So, Gaara-kun, how have you been? It's been so long since I've seen you." He looked back to her, his bright red hair falling over the love kanji above his brow, distracting her eyes for a second.

"Busy. There's a group out tracking down bijus and killing their jinchuriki." Hotaru gasped at this, so did Nikoru, both girls interested suddenly.

"That's horrible, why would someone do something like that?" Hotaru put her hand over her lips as she thought of how much danger both Naruto and Gaara could be in. He shook his head, looking down at the table as he did, still stern as ever.

"We're not sure. We think they're capturing the demons in effort to use them all for something...but, no one has proof. The group is stealthy and lethal for sure." Hotaru shook her head, looking at the table for a moment herself. All of his life Gaara had been hunted...now he was evidentally trying to help protect others who were suffering the same fate. "Hotaru, I need to talk to you." She glanced back up at him as Usagi came in and sat tea down for both of them, along with a plate of seinbei crackers. Hotaru wasn't fond of them, but she had seen Gaara nibble on them a few times, though he rarely ate at all.

"Alright...is there something you want me to do to help?" He shook his head curtly, glancing at the girls.

"Not about that. I want to talk to you alone." Usagi flinched and Hotaru glanced over at her, but she gave a small nod to show that she understood.

"Of course, Gaara-kun. Nikoru-chan and I will get out of y'all's way. We're sure y'all have alot to catch up on." Usagi started to help Nikoru up, patting her upper arm as she did, but the girl suddenly snapped out of whatever silent spell had been put over her. She drug herself back down, giving Usagi dead weight to do it, and looked a bit viciously over a Gaara.

"No, not yet. I want to hear more about this mysterious group." Hotaru looked at her with wide and upset eyes as Gaara focused on the thin blonde.

"No, no, Nikoru, honey. Maybe you and Gaara-kun can talk about it later, but right now he wants to chat with Hotaru-chan." Usagi tried to usher her up again, but Nikoru glared up at her, jerking her arm away again before looking back at Gaara.

"No. This is a serious thing. I want to hear about it." She wasn't really sure what a jinchuriki was. And she only vaguely knew that a biju was a demon within someone. But, she had to distract him from talking to just Hotaru. She had told herself long ago it wasn't going to happen again.

"Well, Nikoru-chan, I'll tell you all about it later. I'm surprised you haven't heard of it in your travels already." Hotaru laughed softly, waving her off dismissively.

"But, it sounds important. Maybe we should know about this incase one of those group members comes here." Nikoru glared at Hotaru, who glared back from behind her sleeve.

"Some other time, Nikoru. I would prefer to talk to Hotaru right now." She jerked her head back to Gaara's steely calm voice and frowned again.

"No! Tell me about it right now!" She slapped the table and Hotaru saw Gaara's fingers flinch on his thigh as she did. She looked up at Usagi with violently begging eyes, Usagi looking like she would nod if she could.

"Nikoru, I said let's go. It's not fair to try and hog Gaara all to yourself when he came to visit Hotaru." Usagi grabbed her by the arm and pulled her to her feet as casually, but as forcefully as she could.

"I'm not! He shouldn't of said something so frightening when he didn't really want to talk about it with all of us in the first place!" Nikoru argued loudly as Usagi drug her out of the room, forcing polite smiles over her shoulder at them as Gaara watched their every move. The door finally shut, bouncing back a little with the force of the shut, leaving a small sliver of a crack.

He slowly turned back to Hotaru who blushed and laughed quietly, "Sorry, she's a bit like Naruto-kun sometimes, she just forgets her manners." She waved the thought off and rolled her eyes a bit, touching her forehead as if she apologized like that often. Gaara relaxed just enough to ease forward and wrap his fingers around his tea cup.

"You're tense when I'm around her. You talk stiltedly and heatedly." She jumped a little, blinking in surprise as he murmured this to the table. He looked saddened by this, his eyes almost softening to the boy she missed the most.

"No, no...I just...it's just them..." She let her cheeks turn bright red, rubbing the bare back of her neck and looking away as she said this. She hadn't meant to hurt his feelings.

"Do you think I'll hurt them?" She turned to look at him again as quickly as he turned to look up at her.

"No! Gaara, I know you never meant to hurt anyone." She smiled softly as she said this, meaning it with all her heart, feeling more and more at ease around him as he talked to her. "Other people just make you uncomfortable is all. I understand that." He let his eyes harden at her though.

"You're afraid I'll hurt them. Like I hurt you, right?" She let her eyes widen again.

"Gaara, it's nothing like that. I promise!" She laughed a bit nervously, waving her hands a little as she did. "You've never hurt me to the point I don't forgive you. I understand it's not you." She reached out and put her hand on his arm, smiling lightly one more time. "Now, why don't you tell me how you've really been doing. I'm sure you've been tired due to business, but what about everything else? How are Tamari and Kankuro?" He looked at his tea and brushed his fingers over the smooth surface of the cup, shaking his head tiredly.

"They matter none. I didn't come here to discuss them." She pulled her hand back, nodding slowly as she set it in her lap. "I came here to discuss you coming home with me."


	51. Couldn't Love You More Than I Do

"I Couldn't Love You More Than I Do"

Hotaru closed her eyes and let out a heavy sigh, feeling him turn to look at her again. "Gaara...we've talked about this so many times...it's a dead subject." She looked at him with tired eyes, but he only stared right back at her, as if he didn't accept the answer. "Gaara, even if I did agree to live with you, I wouldn't leave Konoha. The Sand Village isn't somewhere for me. I couldn't handle it when I was there visiting, much less live in it. Plus..." She trailed off, not wanting to say it again. She HATED this conversation.

"I cannot move here. I'll be KazeKage soon, I cannot abandon my village." She nodded her head in understanding.

"I know. That's what I'm saying. Even if I COULD leave with you, it just wouldn't work out." She gave him a look that said it was the most obvious answer in the world and she was stunned he hadn't come to the conclusion before.

"You don't belong here." She arched a brow as he mumbled this, looking back at his glass again.

"I'm going to take it you meant the girou. And no, I don't belong here. I belong on the field." He looked back up at her now.

"You belong at my side." She sighed again, closing her eyes and putting her forehead in her hand. "Don't do that." She looked up at him with upset eyes, forgetting her fear of him. Suddenly it was almost like they had never separated.

"What am I SUPPOSED to do, Gaara? We've been through this COUNTLESS times. I. LOVE. SASUKE. I'M. WAITING. ON. HIM." She moved her hand along the table, as if setting up columns every time she made a statement with annoyed eyes. "I'm not going home with you. I don't know how long it's going to take you to realize that I don't LOVE YOU LIKE THAT." She looked back up at him to see if anything had sunk in this time. She always hoped that if she just said it enough he would one day get the picture and understand. He only glared at her, his lips pressing into a thin, tight line.

"You STILL love him?" He arched a thin brow at her, an almost sarcastic glint in his eye.

"Yes. Still. Always have, always will." She nodded affirmatively as she said this.

"He LEFT YOU, Hotaru. You fought for him. You DEFENDED him. You tried to DIE for him." She felt her face falling with every sentence he spoke in that glaring monotone of his. "And he repays you by LEAVING you. By trying to kill your "brother" for stopping him, and leaving you. As if you meant NOTHING to him." He sat up a little more as he said this, looking like he was about to move closer to her, but she remained very still and very silent. Not like she hadn't thought this every night since he had left.

"And you still love him. You DEGRADE yourself for him, in effort to get his attention and bring him back." He gestured at her, moving his hand up and down, as if she hadn't looked at herself in a mirror lately. "You tear apart your honor and reputation for him. You lie in the DIRT for him. And he doesn't even realize you EXIST anymore. Do you not SEE this yet?" She bit her lip, furrowing her brow and clenching her fist on the table as she strained not to cry. "All you have to do is say my name and I throw the world at your feet."

Her eyes shut tightly and she turned her head, tears rolling down her cheeks as he paused to watch her reaction to his speech. "He knows I exist. He knows I'm here. He's just...teaching me a lesson...for trying to teach him one. He'll come back." She murmured softly, sniffling as she drew her lips in again and shook her head. Gaara frowned again, obviously upset his words hadn't registered.

"HE'S NOT COMING BACK TO YOU!" He slammed his fist down on the table, rattling the glasses and making her jump. She turned and glared at him.

"EVEN IF HE DOESN'T, I DON'T LOVE YOU!" He grabbed his glass and threw it at her. She ducked, listening to it shatter on the wall across the room, the hot liquid spilling every where as it did.

"You're just doing it to piss me off now!" She slowly looked back at him, his eyes large and enraged as he sat quivering beside her, his fist opening and closing on the table as she sulked angrily.

"I've told you till I'm blue in the face, Gaara. I love you. You're part of my family. I'll DIE for you. But, I don't LOVE you." He bore his teeth at her, sucking in a breath and snarling at her final statement.

"Why won't you even give me a CHANCE?" He stood up and grabbed the table, lifting it up and throwing it into the wall, sending cups and wood crashing to the floor. She fell back when the table was ripped away from her, covering her face and watching in horror as it split in two. She looked back to see him reaching out for her, grabbing her by the hair and throwing her towards the table, letting her land on her side with a screech.

"I've done EVERYTHING for you! I've tried EVERYTHING to make you just LOOK at me!" She lifted herself up, coughing softly before he snatched her by her hair again, lifting her towards his face, breathing through his teeth at her. She moaned in pain, closing her eyes against the violence glowering her down. "YOU'D FUCK STRANGERS BEFORE YOU'D GIVE ME A GODDAMNED HUG!"

He threw her across the room, causing her to cry out again. She forced herself up one more time, her arms shaking beneath her weight, before she looked up at him with tears rolling out of her eyes once more. "I'm sorry! Gaara, I wasn't trying to upset you!" She shook her head, hitting the floor lightly before dropping her head towards it again. "I can't love you if I just don't. You mean so much to me, but I just don't-" He wrapped his hand around her throat, halting her before she could finish. He had come up on her without her even realizing.

She gasped, grabbing onto his wrist as his lifted her to her knees. "DON'T say it. Not again." She nodded her head quickly, but he continued to slowly tighten his grip. "I could give you everything, Hotaru. I could protect you. I could love you. Anything your heart desired I could give it to you." He let her go and she collapsed at his feet, putting her own hand where his had been, forcing air into her lungs again. He looked down at her sadly, looking every bit as heartbroken as he suddenly sounded. "You give everyone else a chance...Why do you hold onto him?"

She drug herself up, touching his leg with a light hand as she continued to pant for a moment. "Be-because...he and I need each other...And because...he loves me." She dropped her forehead against his pant leg, holding onto her necklace with white knuckles as she closed her eyes and waited for his response. He lifted her head up, kneeling in front of her and brushing his hand over her cheek as he studied her with softened, but detached eyes she had rarely seen.

His thumb ran through the streaks of salt water on the round of her flesh, brushing over her ruby lips before he pulled his hand back and slapped her. She felt her head snap sideways and her mouth part in horror as he continued to hold her by the shoulder with his second hand, like he was simply telling her he missed seeing her. Slowly she looked back at him, her eyes searching his face for anything that gave a hint as to why he did it. He pulled his hand back and did it one more time, listening to her screech as he did it this time.

"You're coming home with me. I'm not letting you do this to yourself any longer." He stood up and turned his back on her, starting to walk away, but she slowly looked up at him, shaking her head. She was holding her cheek, the skin whelping beneath her fingers as it was.

"N-no! I hate you! I hate what you do to me! I hate how you treat me!" He glared at her over his shoulder, slowly turning around like he couldn't believe what was coming out of her mouth. She had never said that to him. Not even when he tried to destroy Konoha.

"You don't even have an excuse anymore!" She got to her feet, glaring right back at him. "It's not even that fucking BEAST inside of you anymore! It's just YOU! You're so use to getting your fucking way that you can't STAND IT that someone's not giving into your every fucking whim!" She jammed a finger in the air at him, more upset than he had seen her before. "I've only ever LOVED you, Gaara! I've watched you kill and maim! I've watched you try to DESTROY my home and my boyfriend and my best friend! And I've only ever FORGIVEN YOU AND LOVED YOU FOR IT! Because I KNEW it wasn't you! It was that MONSTER inside of you!" She took a step forward, her chest rising and falling quickly with the vehemence of her rage. "Now? Now it's just YOU! You don't have a fucking excuse anymore! I'M NOT PUTTING UP WITH IT ANY LONGER! I HATE YOU!" She stomped a foot, gasping for air as she drew her speech to a close and he simply stared her down.

After a moment, he lunged at her, hands outstretched and grasping as she tried to fall backwards out of reach. "YOU CAN'T HATE ME!" He snatched at her, clawing at her throat as she fell back just in time, crashing to the floor and landing painfully on her backside. She reached up, feeling blood beading on the side of her throat from the scratch marks, looking up to see sand whirling out of his gourd and wrapping around the right half of his body in a way she knew all too well. "YOU'RE MINE! I'LL -DEVOUR- YOU BEFORE YOU CAN HATE ME!" She screamed as he fell on her again, ripping at her hair and throwing her into the wall.

"Stop it! I was just angry, I didn't mean it!" She sobbed, covering her face as he threw her to the floor on her back, tearing at her obi and kimono. "Gaara, stop! I'm sorry! PLEASE!" She was kicking and pushing at his hands, the sand striking her face like a thousand tiny whips as it whirled around them and over her, straining to pin her to the floor. He laughed, rearing his head back and baring fangs at her, his right eye solid yellow now.

"I'll show you EXACTLY what kind of monster I can be." His voice came out in a hiss, something she almost couldn't hear over the sand. She shook her head, losing one of her arms to the restricting coils of sand, but still fighting to keep her legs and other arm free. She kicked him in the chest, mud running down her cheeks as she cried and the dirt stuck to the tears.

"You're not a monster! Stop it! You're Gaara! You're the KazeKage! ACT LIKE IT GODDAMMIT!" She managed to scratch his cheek with her nails as he ripped apart her obi and tore open her kimono, her second hand finally being caught and strapped down. He was growling now, sniffing loudly and running his tongue over her throat, his right side becoming more and more that veined creature's side...He wasn't even talking anymore. "Gaara, STOP!"


	52. Break Down

"And We All Breakdown"

Nikoru spun around in the hallway and jerked away from Usagi as soon as the door shut. "What are you THINKING? You're going to leave her in there with HIM?" She spat in a hiss, glaring up the calm, taller girl.

"Hotaru was desperate to get you out of there, didn't you see that?" Usagi opened her eyes and sighed, shaking her head slowly as she did, already able to hear the murmur of conversation between the two of them through the door.

"I don't CARE! She's so fucking desperate to protect US she forgets to protect her fucking SELF!" Nikoru stomped her foot, only able to hear Hotaru's screams from that night at the Hero's Memorial so long ago.

"You can't do anything about it. She's a big girl, she knows when to put her foot down." Nikoru glowered at Usagi, knowing that even SHE knew she was talking out of her ass when it came to this. Hotaru would just lie there and take it like she always did. And they would just have to stand there and watch.

"I'm going back in there. I'm NOT letting this happen while I'm around again. It's EXACTLY why I came back." Not exactly, but might as well of been. She came back to help protect Hotaru, this was one of those instances. Usagi caught her arm though, pushing her back into the dim hallway and away from the door with a little more force than the blonde had expected. She narrowed her gray eyes at her now, stepping between her and the cracked door.

"Hotaru is a ninja. Hotaru was trained from day one to defend herself against men twice her size and with ten times her power. YOU are a girl. JUST a girl." Nikoru looked at the floor and huffed, folding her arms over her chest as Usagi pointed at her to make her point. "HE is a ninja. A ninja with a HIGHLY unstable mind and a DEMON inside of him that prays on his EVERY weakness, including Hotaru herself. He could take your head off your shoulders in the blink of an eye if he wanted to. I've SEEN what he did to Sasuke. You KNOW how strong Sasuke is. Even as a child he was strong. And THAT boy in there would've SLAUGHTERED him had it not been for Naruto. So what do YOU, just a normal little girl who can maybe pull a punch, do to help her?"

Nikoru was quiet for a long time, flinching as she heard Hotaru raise her voice and Gaara follow suit. There was no movement on the other side of the door though, just alot of barking and snapping. She took in a deep breath and so did Usagi. "I can't just let her let him break her. Anyone else she'd snap their wrists for looking at her wrong...him...she just lies there." She covered her face with her hands and Usagi nodded slowly, reaching out and wrapping her arms around the thin little girl, pulling her into her breasts.

"I know, baby, I know...but she would rather let him take his anger out on her than you or me. He'll get angry no matter what...might as well let him rampage in a contained space and on her than have him destroy the entire girou and us with it. She'd DIE if anything happened to you that could've been prevented." Nikoru nodded slowly, letting Usagi's disconcerting words, but calming tone, wash over her and force her to relax a little. She was right, if she went in there now she could get hurt, and then Hotaru would hurt Gaara and then herself.

They heard a glass shatter suddenly and both jumped. They turned and looked at the door, still and silent for a long time. "I can replace it..." Usagi murmured softly, whether to herself or Nikoru, she wasn't sure, but she was staring at the door. They heard more yelling, then the table being thrown and the horrible bone splintering crack of the wood falling apart. Nikoru jerked towards the door, but Usagi held her fast, shaking her head as they listened to Hotaru cry out and Gaara yell again. "I can replace it. He won't hurt her, he'll just rough her up. He'll KILL you." She was speaking quickly and Nikoru was twitching in her arms, shaking her head against her voice and straining for the door.

"You can't replace HER though!" She whined, reaching for the door, aiming to grab or kick it open, hoping that being exposed would stop Gaara from the rampage he was about to commence.

"And I can't replace YOU! You're more likely to DIE! Why won't you LISTEN?" Usagi had her hand over Nikoru's mouth now, afraid Gaara would hear her and come out here, and was hissing loudly in her ear. Nikoru was clawing at her hand though, shaking her head and crying as they heard thumps and thuds and cries, but had no idea what any of it meant.

"What the hell is going on out here?" Hidan came out into the hallway, rubbing the back of his head and frowning as he looked at the darkness surrounding him. The lanterns near their doors were out...which meant a guest was here that they should be hiding from. But, there was so much fucking noise he couldn't help but investigate. Usagi spun to him, watching him halt in his tracks as he stared at her in confusion as she restrained Nikoru and covered her mouth, the girl thrashing violently in her grasp.

"Nothing, Hidan, go back to your room." He frowned at her, rolling his eyes before glancing at the dining room door they were standing in front of, hearing a screech and some yelling.

"What the hell's going on in there?" Usagi rolled her eyes, straining to keep her voice as quiet as she could.

"NOTHING. Go BACK to your room before you get EVERYONE in TROUBLE." She spat loudly, Nikoru looking at him with pleading eyes as he looked at Usagi like she had lost her mind.

"Listen, bitch. I normally don't have a problem with you, but you keep treating me like some kid and we're GOING to have a fucking problem." Before Usagi could answer though they heard Hotaru screaming again. Nikoru bit Usagi's hand and elbowed her in the stomach, causing her to let go and double over in pain.

"HOTARU!" She ran for the door, but they heard another scream and something slam into a wall, rattling the door in its frame. Hidan lashed forward before he thought about it, grabbing the petite girl around her waist and jerking her body back into his, taking a step back from the door as she bicycle kicked wildly in the air. "Let go! He's hurting her! HE'S HURTING HER!" She was sobbing and shaking her head, her hair matting to her cheeks and whipping him in the face as he pulled her back from the door.

"Well whoever HE is, he's gonna hurt you ALOT fucking worse than he is her." He knew the other whore was good enough to be an anbu, and he knew these two weren't good enough to be anything. Especially this one.

"You don't understand ANYTHING! Let go! LET GO!" She tried to elbow him in the stomach too, but he just took in a sharp breath and bit at her throat, causing her to yelp in shock and pain.

"You hurt me and I'm going to hurt you back, bitch. I'm doin this for your own fuckin' good. I don't even know what's ON the other side of that goddamn door." He snarled in her ear, feeling her go tensely limp in his grasp for a second and cover her face with her hands as she sobbed.

"It's a boy Hotaru knows. He's from the sand village and he's highly unstable. He tends to do this alot to her." He glanced over at the taller one, then glanced at the door, where things had gone strangely quiet.

"Well, sounds like things are 'bout done." He loosened his grip on Nikoru a little, but not enough to let her go, and set her on the floor again. She spun in his grasp, wrapping her arms around him and burying her face in his chest, wetting his skin immediately. He blinked, unsure of what to do, and stared down at the top of her blonde head, only keeping his arms around her because he didn't want her flying off the handle again.

He looked back up at the door, hearing some muttering here and there, but unable to make anything out. "Guess he gets tired of her attitude too, huh?" He snorted, looking over at Usagi, but she cut her eyes at him. Nikoru trembled in his grasp, letting out another loud sob. "Good, maybe he'll take her down a few pegs every time he hits tha bitch." Suddenly he was slapped across the cheek. He blinked the pain and shock away and looked down, seeing Nikoru pulled back as far in his arms as she could be, glaring up at him.

"DON'T EVER SAY IT AGAIN!" She cried out, slapping him one more time, making him close his eyes and take a deep breath to try and not crush every bone in her body right then and there.

Another scream echoed down the hall. And another one, and another one. Now it sounded like things had gotten violent. All of them watched the door in mute horror as they heard something lashing around in the room like a sand storm and the screaming, sometimes words coming out, other times just horrible noises. "SOMEONE'S GOTTA DO SOMETHING!" Nikoru had started to cry and frantically pull at his arms again. He jerked her back against him, hard, and held her tightly against his waist, glaring at the door.

"Again, whatever is hurting her would tear YOU apart in a second." He muttered, a bit serious now, as he wondered what the girl was going through that he couldn't see. What kind of boy was this that enjoyed inflicting apparent pain like that and wasn't in their group yet?

"I don't care! I don't care! Let go, let go, LET GO!" She kicked at his legs and clawed at his arm, actually bending down and biting it at one point, but he remained still and stoic against her.

"Do all you want, whore, it's not going to get you anywhere." Usagi had a hand over her face and was leaning against the wall behind him. She slumped down against it and started to cry too, listening to the screams and pleas get louder. "Stop it," Had become the loudest one, and the pure ache and terror in the voice that screamed it made even him cringe a little. He just wanted to know what was going on.

"I have to help her! Let go! Please, let go!" Nikoru was still fighting, but she was tiring out and giving up hope. He wrapped a second arm around her and pulled her flush against him, putting his head against the side of her own and closing his eyes.

He never really wanted to make someone stop crying before. It was odd. Generally he wouldn't of stopped someone from running into death. He would've let her open the door and watched everything happen, maybe even laugh or help...but suddenly, he wanted whatever it was on the other side of the door to stop so that she would stop crying so hard.

Then, everything went quiet. They all looked up, Nikoru bringing her sobs down to sniffles and tremors, Usagi gathering herself up off the floor and taking a slow step towards the door. "Don't touch it. Something's not done yet." She froze at Hidan's command, glancing over at him before looking back to the door. There was nothing for a good little while. Just the sound of their breathing and sniffling. But, there was something hanging in the air that, now that the girls had paused to feel it, felt ominous and heavy.


	53. Savior

"Savior"

"Stop." Hotaru almost didn't hear the deadly calm voice. She didn't feel any difference for a long moment either. She didn't notice Gaara had paused to look up at something across the room either. She lay there crying for a while, her eyes tightly shut against what she had been waiting on and expecting. She could still feel the warm sand slithering across her legs, hands, and stomach, the grains course against her skin. When she finally noticed something had stopped the whirlwind of sand around them and distracted Gaara, she opened her eyes and sniffled.

Glancing at Gaara she saw him sneering and growling at something across the room. She slowly rolled her head to the side, seeing Itachi standing there with his arms folded across his chest, minus his cloak. He had that same, disdainful look in his eyes, but something close to anger was glinting beneath the red of his sharingon. Gaara growled again, drawing his upper lip back as he did, leaning over her like an animal over its fresh kill. "Sasuke..." He snarled in a voice she knew wasn't his. Hotaru looked at him in horror, then looked back to Itachi.

"No, no! Gaara, it's not Sasuke! It's Itachi!" She looked at Itachi as he took a slow step forward, the sand constricting against her a bit harder, causing her to gasp one more time. "Stop! Itachi, go away! Just go away! Gaara, it's not Sasuke!" Gaara took a step forward, rising to his feet to loom over her, the thick tail he had grown swaying through the air behind him slowly and angrily. She started to shake her head, crying again, "Itachi, go AWAY!" He glanced down at her, something close to pity lurking beneath his features as he did, but Gaara caught the look and growled again, moving to stand over her face, blocking it from him, making Itachi look back at him again.

"It IS Saske...You're just saying it because you want to protect him." Gaara rolled his yellow eye over his shoulder to look at her, narrowing it against her as she shook her head and cried.

"No! Sasuke hasn't come back! His name is Itachi!" He looked back at Itachi again, drawing his upper lip back with a snarl.

"I'll make sure to tear off your legs this time, Uchiha Sasuke. That way you won't be able to run while I eat the rest of you." The sand shot forward but Itachi held out a hand, swiping it to the side easily.

"I am Uchiha Itachi. I suppose I'll fight you in my little brother's stead, since you seem so keen on it." He seemed board by this, but Gaara froze, looking at him like a confused animal.

"Where is Uchiha Sasuke?" His voice cracked and rattled in his throat, threatening to become a roar. Itachi shrugged calmly, appearing bored by the entire scene.

"I havn't seen my baby brother in years. Step back from the girl." He took another calm step forward and Gaara flinched towards him, moving from standing over her to standing in front of her.

"WHERE'S SASUKE?" He roared, clutching at the air like a mad man. Itachi looked down at Hotaru and she looked up at him, concerned terror in her eyes. He blinked for a second though, looking a little caught off guard by something as he stared at her, but she wasn't too concerned with what right now.

"Please, Itachi, just go away." Itachi gave a slow shake of his head, but quickly looked back to Gaara, who lunged forward at him, dipping for a full body tackle.

"If you won't tell me I'll get it from you when I consume you!" He leered insanely, laughing as Itachi swiped another hand at the sand that was lashing for him as well. Gaara seemed to be honestly determined to destroy him. Hotaru screeched, but Itachi knocked Gaara out of the way as if he were a child. He flew into the wall, the sand the only thing cushioning him from breaking his spine. Itachi turned to face him as a wave of sand rolled him into standing position again and he shook his head, drool flying out of his mouth before he focused his eyes on Itachi again.

Hotaru strained to sit up, unable to hold herself upright without her hands. "Gaara, stop!" Itachi struck him again, this time curving a punch into his jaw, but the sand flew up to protect him. Gaara swiped for Itachi's face as the sand blocked for him, but Itachi managed to doge the attacks just as easily. "Don't! That's enough! STOP!" Hotaru was crying again, reliving Gaara and Lee's battle all over again. Reliving Naruto and Gaara's battle all over again.

Itachi slipped to the floor and kicked Gaara's feet from beneath him, too fast for the sand to catch that time. He fell face first, but the sand managed to lie beneath him before it happened. Itachi glanced down at him, lifting a foot to send him through the flooring. "ITACHI, QUIT! DON'T HURT HIM!" Itachi froze at the shattered scream, looking over at Hotaru, who was fighting viciously against her bonds once more. Gaara lifted his face, the biju finally ebbing away from his right half, slow tears rolling out of his left eye.

Hotaru locked eyes with him, shaking her head and crying out, her hands flexing and twisting as she reached for him. "Gaara, I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Please!" He pushed himself up on his hands slowly, staring at the ground with terrified and agonized eyes, the sand letting lose of its hold on her. She shot up, running over to him and grabbing hold of him, shoving Itachi out of the way as she did. Gaara started to cry, getting to his knees, letting her gather him up into her chest and press her cheek against his forehead, holding him tightly.

"Hotaru-chan, I'm sorry...! I never meant to-I just wanted...It's not me!" She hadn't seen him cry this hard since the battle for Konoha. She shook her head, forgetting Itachi was in the room at all. "No, no, it's fine. I never meant anything I said. I was just upset. It's fine, it's fine." She kept pressing her cheek against his forehead, lifting her head every now and then to shower kisses on him, then pressing her cheek against his head again.

"You-you said...It's not me! I'm sorry, it's not me!" She nodded, quickly lifting her head to put her hand beneath his chin, pulling his face closer to her own.

"I know it's not, I know. I was just angry. I didn't mean any of it, okay? I love you." She hugged him again, pulling him farther up, letting him rest his head on her bare shoulder this time. She started to rock as he continued to cry, almost silently, and she did the same.


	54. At a Loss

"At a Loss"

Itachi sighed heavily, shaking his head and turning away from the strange sight. He didn't even know why he risked his cover to come in here anyways. He supposed it was because he kept hearing his brother's name. But, he hadn't even been sure that he was ACTUALLY hearing Sasuke's name, he had just guessed. He had told Kisame it was because he didn't want to listen to the noise anymore, that it was like hearing a bad hentai, but he didn't honestly know. He just knew he expected some kind of thanks instead of being shoved out of the way.

And he hadn't expected to look down at the girl to see his brother's eye staring back up at him. That had thrown him so far off that he had almost fallen back a step and shown the boy a weak guard. The girl apparently hid alot of things from them, and he suddenly felt the need to talk to her about all of them. She had a sharingon...but, only one...it had to be birth given, otherwise she wouldn't be able to hide it like she had. It wasn't mangekyo level yet, that he knew...but, where had she gotten that eye?

He opened the dining room door to find the other two girls and Hidan standing there. Hidan looked up from holding the one girl and narrowed his eyes at him, as if to say, "tell anyone and I'll eat your soul". He shook it off just as the tallest girl looked up at him, noticing that there was no other noise now. He paused, watching her search his face for some kind of verdict, and he shrugged again. "She's fine. She's hugging him and making him feel better." He muttered as he passed by her and started down the hall again, rubbing a hand over the back of his neck as he did.

Usagi looked into the room, seeing what Itachi had described. Exactly what always happened when Gaara came over. Except, he was crying this time. Not the usual single tear or even the occasional double tear, but actually crying. Nikoru flew to her side, but she caught her by the arm and shook her head, drawing her back out into the hallway slowly and shutting the door. "He's crying. Something strange happened that time that doesn't usually happen."

Nikoru frowned and glared at her, "Yeah, he actually hurt her that time! Let go!" Usagi tightened her grip on her friend's arm though, shaking her head again.

"No, she's not hurt at all. I've seen her come out of these things with black eyes and bruises as big as your fist. Something happened to HIM this time." Nikoru blinked slowly, listening to Hidan give a snort, his way of saying things had gone too sissy for him. She glanced back at the door, peering through the crack to watch Hotaru sit Gaara up and run her hand over his cheek a few times, her frantic way of trying to calm someone down and make them understand something. Nikoru pulled back and looked at Usagi again, "Just wait until he leaves...then you can do whatever you want." Nikoru nodded slowly and tiredly, slumping a bit and turning to see Hidan walking down the hallway.

She glanced over her shoulder at Usagi again, looking between her and Hidan's back for a moment, then bolted off after Hidan, grabbing his arm when she caught up to him. She hugged his bicep tightly. "Get off me, whore." He snarled at her, but she shook her head, hanging on for dear life as he shook his arm to free it from her grasp.

"Let me sit with you and Kakuzu...please don't leave me alone to wait on her." She whimpered, making him look down at her and give an annoyed groan.

"What about your fucking sister? You gonna leave her like that?" He thumbed over his shoulder to where Usagi was still looking at the dining room door. They paused in front of his room and she looked back at Usagi, seeing her smooth a hand through her flawlessly put up hair and turn, starting towards the kitchen with her head bowed slightly. She looked back up at Hidan, whimpering softly.

"She's use to waiting these things out by herself. I'm not." She glanced at the floor, squeezing his arm a little as she did.

"I don't wanna hear her screams anymore..." He sighed and slid open the door, pulling her inside before almost shutting it on her.

"Kakuzu, one of the bitches wants to sit with us; she may fuck you, if you're nice."


	55. Forgiveness

"Forgiveness"

Gaara sat back after a long while and sniffled a final time, looking to the side a bit sulkily as he realized he had cried like a girl. Hotaru bent forward, sliding her kimono sleeve over her hand and dabbing at his cheeks and eyes with it. After a second he pulled back, pushing her hand away and frowning at her somewhat. "It's okay, it's already ruined." She smiled gently, swiping at his face one more time to dry it. He looked down at her, seeing that she was right.

He had torn holes into the rich fabric and ripped the right sleeve off at the elbow. He had torn the bottom of it at about her thighs, but never finished the job, so it just hung limply, exposing her right lower half. It hung open loosely on her frame, just covering the dark flesh of her nipples from him, but revealing the smooth rounds of her breasts and the clean dip of stomach to her panties. He looked up and saw her hair down around her shoulders, falling down her back in matted tangles and knots, strands of it falling across her face and over her ears at odd angles. Her obi was lying in shreds on the ground behind her, along with one of her earrings.

He lifted a slow hand and pushed the hair out of her face, watching her close her eyes calmly as she let him. "I'm sorry...I'll buy you a new one." She opened her eyes at that, shaking her head and reaching up, taking hold of his hand with both of hers.

"Don't, it's too expensive. It's fine, this was an old one anyways." She laughed it off again, rubbing her fingers over his knuckles as she held his limp hand, able to feel a small quiver run through it every now and then as it shot its way through his body. He looked away again, having trouble confronting her eyes.

"I will. I'll leave the money for you." She shook her head again, looking down at his hand and their laps.

"Gaara, don't bother. I won't use it." He turned to look back at her, eyes hardening a bit again.

"I want to replace it." She looked up at him and he pulled his eyes away once more.

"Then, instead of leaving money for me to use and making me feel guilty, why don't YOU buy it?" He lifted his brows to show he was listening, watching her drop his hand to her bare thighs and flatten it against the taut flesh so she could spread his fingers out and run a fingertip over the back of each one absentmindedly. "Sure. You're leaving tomorrow, right?" He nodded his head, taking a breath in effort not to grip down on her leg and push it from the other one. "Well, when you go back into town tonight, buy me a kimono you want to see me in. You can surprise me with it. Just drop it off in the morning before you leave and I'll only wear it when you come over."

He blinked and looked up at her, watching the top of her head before reaching out and brushing his free hand through her tangled curls. "I'll do that." He lifted his hand from her leg and from beneath her own, reaching up to cup her face with it, closing his eyes and bringing her lips to his. She closed her own and sighed, lightly kissing him back, her hand resting on his forearm. After a second he pulled away, but turned his eyes from hers again when she opened them to smile at him. She frowned slightly.

"You won't look at me..." He studied their laps, letting his hands fall to his own as he did, slumping a little.

"I can't." She blinked in some surprise, then reached out and put her own fingers beneath his chin, lifting his face to her own.

"Why not?" He looked away, making her frown.

"One eye is your own, reminding me of the pain and anger I caused in you today..." She sat back, reaching up and putting her hand over her left eye, knowing what he was going to say next. When he caught sight of the motion he looked back up at her.

"The other is HIS." She nodded, taking her own turn to look away. She laughed slowly, keeping her sharingon covered.

"It...it must've been...It just reacted to my upset..." He looked away, his fingers flexing on his lap as he gave a slow, curt nod. He rose to his feet, turning to look down at her.

"I'll let you get cleaned up." She rose to her feet too, pushing hair in front of her eye so he didn't have to see it; she couldn't make it go away at the moment.

"I'll walk you to the door." She touched his arm, but he shook his head.

"Don't. Not like that." She glanced down at herself one more time, reaching up and pulling her robe together what little she could, holding it shut at her chest. She looked back to him, suddenly afraid to leave his side.

"I can, I don't mind. No one here to see, but the girls." She smiled softly, he shook his head again though.

"I'll ask you about Uchiha Itachi next time." She tensed at the mention of the name, almost having forgotten Itachi had stepped in and tried to save her. Gaara reached out and put a slow arm around her, kissing her a final time before pulling away.

"Gaara...please...I'm really sorry about everything..." She watched the sand start to eat away at him, reaching out, but stopping herself. He shook his head, reaching out for her as well. Actually touching her cheek with light fingertips, letting her feel them sift away into nothing as he did.

"I'll see you sometime soon, Hotaru." He left after that, leaving her to look at her little purple toenails peering up at her from beneath the hem of her shredded kimono. And then, she dropped to the floor. She buried her face in her knees and sobbed. Like she did every time.


	56. Sudden Moments Together

_~~**~~Time lapse! XD Okay, the quote that this one starts off with is one that Itachi said to ME when I was sitting around one day. He kinda popped up in my head with this somber, pissy look to him and was like "so are you putting me in this fucking story or not?" I felt bad and decided to add him in. Now, Hotaru is OBVIOUSLY infatuated with Zetsu, so I'm not sure why she's allowing Itachi to do as he pleases in these next few pieces, but she is. You'll just have to forgive her for being a slut. These pieces are SO random I almost didn't put them in the story; it would've gone fine without them. -Oh and if you don't like sex, don't read the next 4 pieces.~~**~~_

"Sudden Moments Together"

_"I should be allowed to have my moments with you too..."_

Hotaru sighed as she swung her feet over the edge of the bamboo walkway, leaning back on one arm and fanning herself lightly with her free hand. "It's so hot...where's Zetsu when you need him?" She sat up a little more, tugging her kimono open before taking up fanning one more time, glancing around the courtyard as she did. "He could shade me with that big plant thing of his...Wonder if it flowers...Or, the real question, can he take it off?" She smirked and sat back on her hand again, gently swinging her legs to create as much of a breeze as she could and to push them into the cool shade beneath the walkway she sat on. She had been wondering alot lately about what Zetsu could do with that fly trap of his. But, every time she thought about it she felt like she should be ashamed; it always made her blush and look around to make sure no one saw her thinking it. As if she were thinking about a naked woman; which made her giggle even harder.

A sudden, quiet, presence made her jump a little and quickly look to the side. Glancing up she caught sight of Itachi looking out over the yard, arms folded casually across his chest as he did. A breeze started up, blowing strands of hair across her face and his own. They pushed the strands away at the same time, Itachi only deciding to look down at her when he caught her hand moving slowly over the curve of her ear. He lifted a brow as he skimmed over her appearance, "You look even more eroi than usual..." With this he looked away again, as if he didn't want an answer from a fool like her, or as if he made the most casual of comments.

"Hmmm...I don't know if I should thank you or flip you off." Hotaru pursed her lips, looking in front of herself also and arching her brows snippily before fanning herself again; with a bit of anxious speed to it now. He rolled an eye towards her.

"What would you do if someone caught you?" She shrugged without looking at him.

"What, like you?" She rolled her head and pressed her cheek into her shoulder as she peered up at him boredly. "I'd do just what I did with you. Nothing." She looked back out into the yard again, stopping the fan to push its edge against her lips as she tuned him out with thoughts. He turned slowly to face her, kneeling to a squat as he let his crimson eyes focus in on her. Hotaru paused, quickly double taking on him with her eyes before slowly turning to face him too.

"You're vulnerable...more so than when you are inside...Out here you seem to have forgotten that you could be used." She lifted another brow, sitting up and pulling her legs up, folding them in front of herself as she turned to face him all the way.

"Oh, really? I mean, if it's coming out of your mouth, I feel like I should pay attention..." She waved the fan in lazy circles in front of herself as she looked up to the ceiling to say this. "Because, gods know you don't damned well talk enough. Buuuut..." Again she let her eyes lock on his own and gave a slow, smug smile. "I think I'm just fine WITHOUT your oddly timed advice." As she turned her eyes away she tossed hair over her shoulder, almost flicking him in the face with it. He failed to move, rather took to watching her again.

Hotaru took to tuning him out with thoughts again. She had found he was a bit like Kakuzu when he wanted to be. He liked to watch things like some weird side show that only he could see. To not let that bother you, you just had to ignore them COMPLETELY. Eventually they'd get bored and go away. Specially if you started doing something weird. Hotaru smirked to herself, leaning back even farther on her hand, tossing her head back tiredly. "Oh god...Itachi..." She moaned, closing her eyes and pulling at the side of her kimono, letting the sun fall even farther over her breasts. "Mmmm...too bad you can't make it cooler...I'm so hot..." Slowly she turned to face him again, biting at her lower lip and rubbing her thighs together teasingly.

He sat and watched her with the same dull expression for a long time. Hotaru threw her hands up in the air and rolled her eyes, throwing her hands to her lap with a exasperated sigh. "God, you have NO feelings, do you? You're worse than fucking Sasuke, least he showed SOME kind of reaction." She dismissed him with a disgusted wave of her hand, falling onto her side and leaning away from him, curling her legs beneath her and showing him her backside. He started to rise to his feet and she rolled her eyes again, cradling her chin in her hand, tapping the handle to the fan on the shiny floor beneath her. There had to be something wrong with him, he didn't respond to anything she did; ever.

Suddenly she was on her back, hands sharply pressing hers to the floor, knee between her own, breath running smoothly over her features. She blinked, looking up at the still emotionless Itachi. "Wh-what are you doing?" He tilted his head just so, his fingers shifting in their grip around her wrists.

"I'm showing you just how vulnerable you are right now." Her eyes opened farther as he bent his head down, letting his lips graze her throat before teasing the tip of his tongue along it. She shivered, shifting for a way out from beneath him.

"Is this your idea of some kind of joke? Get off me." He drew his head up, pushing his knee farther between her thighs as he did. She started to squirm, halting her movements when she realized how good that knee felt when she shifted against it like that.

"I'm doing you a favor...Besides," He bent his head down again, this time sliding his body easily over hers, kissing softly over her breasts as he went. "You seem to be liking it just fine." Hotaru's back began to lift in response, she bit her tongue and forced it back down, shutting her eyes and shaking her head quickly.

"Okay, just stop. It-it's not funn-funny...Itachi...!" She yelped as he tugged her breast free, swirling his tongue over the suddenly exposed nipple before taking it sharply into his mouth. This time she couldn't stop her back from rising to greet what her body expected. That painful pleasure that she so secretly enjoyed. His movements barely hitched. Instead he drove his knee farther against her, "Please don't...it's too much..." She sank against his knee, cursing herself as she began to move against it, a slow need beginning to build warmly between her legs. He pulled back, releasing her breast with a sharp nip, stumbling her movements long enough for her to yelp with joy.

"Not yet it's not..." Hotaru turned her head to the side slowly, whimpering softly as he murred next to her ear, biting at it as well. She opened her eyes, squirming beneath him again, attempting to draw a leg up with the anxious energy. It was too hot already, but what was this inferno igniting behind her eyes?

"I-Itachi..." He released one of her wrists, letting it fly up and grab at his hair immediately, fingers tangling amidst the raven colored strands. He turned to face her, his eyes smoldering with an empty fire that made her catch her breath and tug even harder at his hair. His lips collided with hers, their tongues smoothing over the roofs of one another's mouths as his body fell on top of hers. He released her second hand, letting it up to wrap around his back, tugging with white knuckles at the black fabric.

He started pulling at her obi, his hands quick and blindly skilled, her kimono falling open easily in matter of seconds. Hotaru reached out and caught the rim of his pants, clumsily pulling them down his hips as quick as she could, tossing her head back into the wood as he grabbed at her breast and rolled it roughly against her. She freed his length, her fingers moving over flesh with more grace than the fabric that had contained it. Warm droplets caught her fingers as she brushed them over his tip and ran them back down, suckling at his throat as if she sought his life essence.

He reached down, snatching at her wrist and jerking it back to the side of her head, slamming it against the boards before looking down at her with a frown. She whimpered again, turning her head to the side and wincing as she drug her foot behind him. He grabbed at her hips, pulling them up and against his own harshly, sending a tremor down her spine. She bit at her knuckle, whining quietly as she felt the hardened muscle teasing over her mound, shock-waves traveling through every inch of her body as it did. "Please, stop!" With that he let a small smirk tug at his features, then drove himself into her, gutting a cry of joy from her as he did.


	57. Your Psycho, Your Vertigo Stare

_~~**~~Incase you haven't noticed, with some of these titles, I have a THING for Lady Gaga ;3 ~~**~~_

"I want your psycho, your vertigo stare"

She was losing her mind. It had been so long since she had felt something like this. So long since she felt this deeply entranced, this blindly connected to a creature. She had sought for this connection in everything, sought to fill this ache that He had left, and all of a sudden, her head was reeling from an unexpected fit. She tightened her grip on the lean muscle of the arm at her side, dragging her nails over the bends of flesh as her second hand fought to tear across the muscles in his back.

He grabbed at her hips, bruising soft skin in the search for better purchase, dragging her lower body up off the floor. She cried out, arching her spine as he rose to his knees. She whimpered, turning her head to the side, unable to face the disgusted crimson that was glowering down at her, the sleek silhouette suddenly much taller and dominating as it loomed over her. Free hand hooked beneath her knee, pushing it against her chest groughly, forcing the second one to do the same. Her body doubled up and eyes shot wide as he suddenly struck a chord within her she didn't even know she had. "Sasuke!"

Groans turned into a low growl of disgust as he continued to thrust into her. Hotaru's breath was catching in the back of her throat. Her eyes were too wide, mouth too open, yet teeth clamped down on a white knuckle as tears sprung to the corners of her eyes. She couldn't reach him anymore, he was too far away. She latched onto her own ankle, driving her nails into the smooth skin, wincing as another moan left her, slow tears rolling down her cheeks and smearing across her collarbone. Coarse thumbpad pushed at her clit, sending a tremor through her body as her eyes opened again, hand flying from her mouth with another forceful cry. "D-don't...! I-I won't be able to...!" She gasped, driving her head back into the floor again, her bliss building to a point of blinding her.

"S-say it...please..." She whimpered, fighting back her urges to slowly look up at him again, one of her hands tangled in her own hair behind her head. She turned her head to the side, unable to take the disdain she was being looked at in. She winced, moaning loudly once more, tugging softly at her own tresses, squirming lightly. "Please...!" His movements slowed, almost halting, quickly making her turn to look up at him with horrified eyes. Had she said something wrong? Done something unpleasing?

"I-I just wanted you to say my name...please...it's been so long..." Slowly he began to pick speed back up, as though he had decided to forgive her for her outburst. He held onto her thighs and leaned his hips against her, groaning once again as he took to pushing her over the edge. She cried out another time, her hand letting go of her ankle to instinctively reach for him, but falling just short of the bone beneath those eyes. "Sasuke, please!"

"Dammit!" He jerked away from her, causing her to screech with pain as he slammed her side into the flooring, pressing her cheek to the polished wood as he bent over her, panting heavily. His breath was hot across her skin, mingling with pale clouds of her own heated pants. "I'm NOT Sasuke! Don't you understand that?" She shut her eyes against his words, drawing her lower lip in to bite at it, her fingers flexing against the wood they were pressed into also.

"I-I'm sorry...I just wanted this to..." Tears started out of her eyes, pooling at her lips as she let a shiver run down her spine.

"Stop!" He pushed her head into the floor a bit harder, making her whimper and struggle to reach for his hand. His free hand held her wrists in place though, firmly against her stomach, and firmly against the floor. "Do you not even know what love IS anymore?" She let out a sob at his words, trying to shake her head against them, but unable to move.

"Who are YOU to talk about love to ME? You're RAPING me!" She screamed at him, but his curt laugh stopped her short.

"Please, you were fine the whole time you disillusioned yourself into believing me to be my little brother...now that I'm not him I'm suddenly raping you?" He pushed her head into the floor one more time, making her wonder if it would split beneath his palm as easily as it seemed.

But, he let her go, rising to his feet and stepping from over her. He brushed himself off as she slowly sat up on one hand, wiping her face with the other and sniffling. Her eye burned, and she was vaguely aware the tears spilling out of it were alot warmer than the others spilling from her right eye.

She turned and looked up at him, watching the muscles in his back pull and stretch as he combed his fingers through the gossamer strands of hair spilling over his shoulders. "Didn't you feel it too?" She whimpered, pulling her eyes away from his form as he paused his movements. "There was this...this heat..." She looked at the floor, blushing like some fool school girl waiting for his answer.

"Heat?" He turned his head slightly, barely looking over his shoulder at her. She looked up, giving a small nod, a pale smile behind her lips. He gave another short, mocking laugh through his teeth at her, turning to face forward again as he did. "Our sharingons merely reacted to one another. Our Uchiha blood was merely readying to give birth to another noble. There was no "connection" as you say." Tears rolled out of her eyes again and she stood up, fighting to get her kimono back up over her shoulders before she stomped a foot in frustration and let the whole mound of fabric fall in a heap at her feet.

"I told you that you had no right to be telling me I didn't know what love was! You wouldn't know a connection to someone if it bit you on the ass!" She stomped her foot again, jabbing a finger in the air at him, sobbing. "You fucking Uchiha princes are all the same! You take what you want and then bitch about it when you get it! Neither of you have any HEART!" He spun on his heel, on her faster than a cat on a mouse.

She turned on her heel too, her clouded sharingon only giving her a small heads up on what he was doing. He caught her by the wrist, jerking her arm in a bend behind her back, forcing her to her knees as he did. He slammed her cheek against one of the support beams, leaning heavily against her back as he pressed his lips to her ear. "I don't need to hear about having a heart from a WHORE." She couldn't catch her breath again, couldn't take in air fast enough.


	58. Running from the Inferno

"Running from the Inferno"

She shook beneath him, struggling to break free of his grasp, the weight of him on her back feeling as if it would crush her. "You're a disgrace to everything you claim to be." He hissed, pushing her arm even higher, making her yelp as the front of her bare body was pushed flush against the pole. "A disgrace to your clan name, to the ninja you claim to be, even to the whore you pretend to be. You can do NOTHING right. You can't even fuck right." With that he gave a final push to her arm before letting up and leaning back.

She spun, swinging violently, aiming to take his head off his shoulders with a single strike. He ducked easily, sliding behind her once again, quickly slamming a hand into her spine, her cry gutting out in her throat as her teeth snapped together. Her hands connected to the floor with a sick bolt of pain shooting through them and up her arms as she tried to stop herself from being pressed into the wood again. She shook off the shock, turning to look over her shoulder as she felt him grab at her hip another time, jerking her against himself harshly.

She felt his second hand lay in the middle of her spine once more, strangely trying to gently nudge her upper body down; aiming to give her a chance for some reason. She grit her teeth and locked her arms against the testing nudges. "Why fuck a whore who isn't worth anything then?" She snapped, glaring over her shoulder and into the shadows that shrouded him. His eyes glowered back at her, empty beams of moonlight strayed across his face to reveal his stone cold features. The hand in the middle of her spine lifted, then came down in a quick knife hand, shooting her arms from beneath her easily.

She fell face first to the wood panels, screaming with anger and pain as he forced himself into her again. "S-stop it! Get off me!" She tried to lift herself up, but the hand remained firmly planted in the middle of her aching back, easily forcing her to the bamboo once more if she managed to lift herself at all. A smooth groan rolled over her, sending another shiver through her before her eyes started to cloud over again. The heat was swallowing her whole again.

She attempted to lift herself off the floor one more time, but her hands gave out on her before he had to push her back down. She moaned, fingers dragging slowly over the floor boards as her breath began to hitch. "A disgrace that can't even stop enjoying herself when someone FORCES themself on her..." He snarled, hooking his arm beneath her belly to pull her backside higher and harder against him, another moan escaping her as she slowly rolled her head back and forth.

"At least...Gods...At least I'm not...not a murderer-Uchiha Itachi!" She forced it out, managing to push herself up on one arm as she did, still reeling from the pure ecstasy flowing through her at his every pulse. He snatched at her hair, letting her scream as he suddenly jerked her body upright, pulling her back hard against his chest and jerking her head against his shoulder.

"No, you're not." He wrapped a hand around her throat, his mouth nestled in her hair and against the side of her head as he hissed at her once again. She reached for his hand, aiming to pry it away as he ignored her and spread her legs, impaling her even farther on himself. She sucked in a sharp breath through her teeth, her movements freezing, spots dancing in front of her eyes as he buried himself to the hilt within her.

He put his free hand beneath her belly again, his ring finger slowly starting at her clit as he easily made her begin the motions. "You're something far worse, Uchiha Hotaru..." He moved his lips to her ear, biting at it as she began to whimper softly. "You're a fool and a coward. And a dishonorable disgrace." She felt tears rolling down her cheeks once again, despite the fire building between her thighs and sparking in her chest.

"I-Itachi...s-stop..." She felt his lips curl up in a smirk as he brought her down in a particularly hard thrust, listening to her yelp loudly before biting at her ear another time.

"That's right. Uchiha ITACHI." His grip on her throat started to loosen, her hands rising to hook around each other behind his neck as he did. Her back arched, breasts pushing forwards as she moaned, slowly starting to rock with him. He blinked, releasing her throat completely and pressing his lips to the side of her neck, inhaling deeply before curling his fingers around her breast. She whimpered with joy, his tongue igniting little sparks beneath her skin, the tugs of his fingers making her breast tingle.

"Too-too much...! Itachi...!" He murred, biting at her throat gently as his hand roved over her breasts, caressing smoothly now. He pressed harder at the little nodule of flesh beneath his finger, eliciting more hungry moans and cries from her as he did. "No more...!" Once again he smiled, running the tip of his tongue along her throat before nipping at it once again, biting down a bit harder before starting to suckle. Hotaru felt her eyes fluttering as the flames continued to rise around them. She wrapped a hand in his hair, the fine strands like silk against her skin as she tugged gently, receiving a content growl in return. She was so afraid to let this new, stronger, inferno engulf her; but she couldn't stop it.

Itachi lifted his head and bit softly at her ear one more time, groaning quietly in it as his body gave a preemptive shudder. "Hotaru..." She tensed at the word, trembling as she suddenly lost her vision and screamed his name in a desperate joy she had never known before. Itachi's grip on her tightened as he struggled to ride her wave. He bit down on her throat, listening to her cries soften, her body loosening around him once more, beginning to relax in his grip.

"Please..." Her nails caressed over his scalp instead of pulling at his hair, her voice wrapping around him like crushed velvet. His eyes closed and body tensed a final time. She gave a sharp gasp, pulling instinctively at his hair before letting go completely. When he could move again he released her too, stepping back as she collapsed to the floor beneath them, burying her face in the crook of her arm and panting heavily. Her body glistened in the moonlight, back and chest laboring through sharp, quiet breaths, as she tried to force air back into her lungs and regain her wits.

He sat behind her for a moment, drawing a knee up and draping an arm over it, apparently unphased by his nudity or her own. She drew herself up another time, leaning heavily on her arms as she coughed, trying to get the dryness in her throat to leave. Taking in too much air at one time had given her cotton mouth. She rolled onto her side, drawing herself up to leaning on one arm, reaching up and pushing hair behind her ear before looking over at him with a small smile. There were tears glistening in her eyes again, but she couldn't stop smiling, something he found strange.

"You said my name..." She whimpered, letting a breathy laugh escape her as she swiped hastily at her eyes and looked at the floor, ignoring his unchanged features. "H-he never said my name...no matter how often I asked. He always...always was silent when we made love...He never spoke, never did anything but groan and glare at me." She pushed a finger into the bamboo as she said this, pushing it into her reflection's sharingon. "He made me feel small and dirty...I so desperately wanted to connect with him..." She turned and looked over her shoulder at Itachi again, giving another small smile. "But, you said my name..."


	59. From the Grave

_~~**~~WARP! Time Lapse! lol Anywho, Gaara is gone now and we're on to ANOTHER angsty set of scenes ;3 What can I say, I like the angst lol~~**~~_

"From the Grave"

Usagi sighed softly, lifting a flower off of the table and cutting at its stem. The girou was dead silent, not even her humming or the bird's chirping could fill the lonely air. She set the flower in the vase in front of her, absentmindedly moving it with deft fingers before leaving and reaching for another. She had sought to fill her time these past few days with the activities that had kept her busy before, but any longer they did nothing except remind her how bored she was. She slit the end off of another blossom, letting the waste fall to the polished table in front of her, setting her sheers down, and mindlessly placing the flower in the vase with the others. Flower arranging use to be such a peaceful pass time for her, a time for her to reflect and breathe; this was just miserable.

The boys had gone on another mission a few days ago. Itachi had ordered that everyone go with them, saying something about having to rendezvous with someone they all needed to talk to. None of the girls had been very sure what it was all about, but the boys seemed to know exactly what was going on. They had been gone for a total of three days now and she thought she was about to go mad. Without the eight of them to fill all the space and keep the girls on their toes and occupied all day, the girou was empty and quiet as the grave again. They got a few customers every now and then, but they were lucky if one person came in for the day. It wasn't like they wanted to see a customer anyways.

Usagi brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes, frowning as she noticed an orchid blossom she had set next to another. She reached out and moved it, not even remembering making the mistake. She was sitting in Kisame's spot at the dining room table and she had to admit, simply sitting where he had sat was making her sad. She missed her danna and she couldn't help but wonder if he missed her too. All this time without him was flying by, becoming lost to her, but dragging by at the same time, making her count every minute of the day that she was paying attention. She knew the others were suffering too, she wasn't stupid.

Hotaru had almost done back flips when they told her they were leaving, but she wouldn't say goodbye to Zetsu and she couldn't make eye contact with Itachi when he mentioned leaving. At first she had flitted around happily, cleaning up and beaming to have her space back and no one to wait on hand and foot any more. But, now, she was moving alot slower and had become alot quieter. Usagi knew she was missing them too. And poor Nikoru had simply sat down and cried when she found out even Tobi was leaving her this time. She had been going around these past few days with her head hung and tears rolling out of her eyes, if she managed to get out of the bed at all.

But, they had said they would be back. Usagi hadn't told the girls, but Kisame had told her as he was leaving. Apparently Itachi had decided this was as good a spot as any to hide out, especially considering it was right beneath Konoha's nose. So he had decided they would hide out here and conduct their missions from here. Part of Usagi was ecstatic at the fact that Kisame was coming back, and the other part of her worried what she was doing by housing criminals against her country. The hope of them coming back though, had been one of the only things to keep her going as of late, so she knew she probably had it a bit easier than the others.

The front door slid open with a clack and she perked up, turning quickly to look at the door. Her heart flew to her throat as she forced composure on herself and rose to her feet, setting down her trimming sheers and another blossom. Brushing herself off and checking her hair quickly she walked to the door, opening it quietly, looking at her feet as she did.

Part of her wanted to look up so badly it hurt, but she didn't want to be disappointed by a customer quite yet. The logical part of her told her this wasn't her danna waiting on her; the door had shut already and the genkan was still oddly silent, but that hope beyond hope made her strive to believe she was going to look up and catch that handsome toothy grin.

"Ah, good afternoon, Sir...Can I help you with anything?" She bowed low, not even looking at the person's feet, determined to be surprised by her danna. Slowly she rose, keeping her smile the same gentle, placid smile she was known for, biting back the excitement in her chest. But, it fell quickly, and she let out a sharp gasp. The eyes that bore into her own surprised and frightened her at the same time.

"Bring me Hotaru."


	60. Confronting the Prince

"Confronting the Prince"

Hotaru yawned and stretched before shutting her book, tiredly cradling her chin in her hand and turning to look up at the window above her. She was starting to go off her rocker from boredom and was beginning to wonder what in the world they had done for fun before the boys. They had to have done something other than sit around and do mindless tasks. She had turned a good hunk of pages in this book and couldn't remember a damned word one of them said. But, she couldn't think of anything else to do other than read.

She had cleaned the entire girou, from top to bottom, the day after the boys left. Now she had nothing left to do. She kept trying to put up the "ecstatically happy" facade Usagi and Nikoru were expecting from her, but it was starting to crumble as she came to realize she missed the boys keeping her busy; even if they were assholes about it. She especially missed Zetsu. The fact that she hadn't even said goodbye to him, and had no idea if she would ever see him again, hurt her deeply. She was basically an anbu...why couldn't she face something so simple as saying goodbye?

Her door opened quietly and she jerked her head to the side, blinking in surprise as Usagi stepped in and hesitantly bowed to her for the intrusion. She arched a brow, tilting her head a bit at her friend, wondering why she looked like she was about to cry. "What's gotten into you, Usa-chan? You miss Kisame-san THAT much?" Usagi quickly shook her head, licking her lips before taking in a quick breath, refusing to make eye contact with her and fiddling with her fingers in front of herself. "What the hell's wrong with you?" Hotaru dropped her book to the table and stood up, turning to face her fully, putting her hands on her hips as she did.

"Y-you have a guest...H-he's asking for you in the dining room. He wants you to serve him tea." Hotaru frowned at first, then her heart did a small back flip as the words settled in. Zetsu? Had he come back to demand a goodbye? She flinched, but smiled.

"Why are you acting that way then? It's not like it's unusual for this to happen..." She grinned and walked towards her friend, nudging her for trying to keep the secret from her. "Whatch'yah hidin, huh, Usa-chan?" She walked out of the room and Usagi turned after her, starting to reach for her, but stopping herself and biting her lip instead, looking off to the side as Hotaru sauntered down the hallway blindly without a second thought.

She made the tea as quick as she could, setting it up on the tray prettily, but knowing it probably wouldn't be touched. She was going to tackle Zetsu happily when she saw him, then apologize profusely. She was going to let him know she WANTED to say goodbye. Touching up her hair quickly and checking her kimono, tugging it open a bit more in the front, she turned and took up the tray, starting towards the dining room with a bright smile that was a bit unusual for her. She wasn't sure why she was so happy to see the confused plant man, but her heart was swelling into her throat at the thought of his maddening smirk and soulless eye.

"Please excuse me for being so slow, Sir...I was in the back room when my sister called me...Do forgive me." She toned down her beam a bit as she shut the door quietly behind herself, taking a small breath before looking up at the table. For a second she doubted her eyes, for a second she thought her mind was playing some vicious trick on her, and then it clicked. Her heart plummeted to the bottom of her stomach and her eyes widened in shock.

She snapped her jaw shut before pulling in a sharp gasp of air instead, her body and mind confused on how to react at all. The tray tumbled from her hand, tea hissing as it spilt on the mats in front of her, the ceramic pot thudding to the woven bamboo dully, a cup shattering as the tray fell atop it. Her knees buckled before giving out, dropping her to the floor with a sickening thud, her eyes burning, but unable to tear away. The scream escaped her before she realized what was happening.

"I see you have yet to mature, Hotaru-chan." She shook her head as his voice wrapped coolly around her ears, sending a shiver down her spine as her head dropped and hand pressed over her mouth. Tears streaked down her cheeks, falling to her knees and the mat to mingle with the spilt tea and broken porcelain. "And are still the drama queen you always were." She choked back a sob, shaking her head one more time before falling to all fours, still pressing her hand over her lips, her eyes shut tightly against what she couldn't believe.

Silence over took the room and, for a second, she thought he was gone; that she had simply fallen for another trick of the mind. But, the sound of his breathing greeted her ears again, pushing past the tingling rush of blood in them, drowning out her own pounding heart. "Pull yourself together, you look like a fool." She nodded slowly, moving to follow his commands without realizing it. She drug herself into sitting position, pulling a smooth cup along with her, tugging it to rest on her thigh and in her lap. Slowly she opened her eyes, releasing her mouth to take in a slow, calming breath before forcing herself to look up at him again.

He languidly turned to face her, his face set and emotionless, but the grain of reality worn around his eyes. He was so different now, so much older and harsher, so lost in his own world...yet too confronted with the one before him. She knew who he was, but she almost didn't recognize him. Gripping down on the warm cup in her grasp she bit at her lower lip, the empty blood red of sharingon glowering her down. And then, the strangest feeling took over her.

She glared, raising the cup and hurling it at him before screeching in rage. "Why the HELL are you here? Who the HELL do you think you are?" He easily moved to the side, the cup breaking against the wall instead of his skull as she had wished. He seemed utterly unphased and she was reminded terribly of Itachi; which only served to make her angrier.

"Don't try and hide it, Hotaru-chan, you wanted me here and you know it." She rose to her feet, grinding her teeth and clenching her fist at her side, stooping to grab another tea cup to hurl at him.

"You BASTARD! You can't just fucking show up here like some KING and expect me to just fall all over myself! You sonva' bitch!" That cup missed too. Now there was some flicker of irritation in his eyes, but she only caught it because she knew what to look for.

"But you DID fall all over yourself, Hotaru-chan. You still are." He gestured to her casually and she screeched, grabbing the tray and hurling it at him like a Frisbee.

"IDIOT! You have NO right to come back her like this! I don't WANT you here!" He ducked the tray, this time up and on her before she could register what was happening. The blade of the katana bit into the soft flesh of her neck coolly, as sharp as the glare he was staring her down with. The mats were soft and spongy beneath her white knuckled fingers, his body overpowering as it straddled her for the first time in a long time.

His breath was hot and moist, breezing over her face as easily as it had all those years ago. She stared him down, quivering beneath the blade, but refusing to show the fearful respect he wanted. "It seems you've gotten worse in all your years of fucking, Hotaru-chan...Tell me, do you think you're weaker now than you were as a genin?" His eyes flickered wildly for a brief second before becoming bloodless glass beads once again.

She narrowed her own eyes at him, her own sharingan an orb of fire embedded into her skull, feeling as though it was going to split her head in half with the pain. "Too bad I've heard that one before, otherwise it would've been HILARIOUS. Now, get away from me, Sasuke." He snorted at the venom lacing her words, but slowly got up and removed the blade from her throat, sheathing it at his side once again. He turned his back to her as she sat up, still unable to take her eyes from him now that they had finally landed on him.

"Feh, don't act like you KNOW me. It's disgusting. I would NEVER associate with someone like you." She shot to her feet, ripping a kunai out of her obi and lunging into the air, prepared to drive it between his shoulder blades. He spun around, knocking the metal from her hand and catching her by the throat, glaring as he held her struggling in the air. "You're a fool, Hotaru-chan. A childish fool. I don't even know why I came to this cesspool again." He dropped her to the floor and she coughed, tears spilling out of her eyes uncontrollably again.

She looked at the floor, all of the fight suddenly ripped out of her, hanging her head like the fool he kept telling her she was. "I know...I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..." She buried her face in her hands, shaking her head slowly as she did, knowing he was looking down on her with the same disdain and disgust he always had. He remained silent and for a moment, a brief moment, she didn't know what to do with herself. She had spent a long time planning out this meeting and none of it was going like she had ever wanted, even her own emotions were betraying her.

"What was I supposed to do?" Slowly she looked up at him, uncovering her eyes and whimpering, unable to stop the tears he hated so much. "Tell me! What was I supposed to do?" She barked, but he only blinked at her, as though he couldn't understand her words. She furrowed her brow, tired of the silent game that she had always secretly hated him for playing. "TELL ME, DAMMIT!" She shot to her feet and he slid a step back, giving her a smooth shrug as he did, looking away from her and to the vase on the table.

"I never cared what you were supposed to do." The admittance slapped her in the face, though she had secretly always suspected it. She clenched her fist at her side again, quivering with fear and rage once more as he slowly turned to face her and blink at her again.

"I KNOW you didn't care! You fucking LEFT me!" She shot forward again, reaching to claw out the crimson orbs he was so proud of. He shot an arm in front of himself to block her, but she changed tactics as soon as she saw the thickened muscle of the arm in front of her. She ducked low, reaching for his partly exposed stomach, figuring she could tackle him to the floor and rip his eyes out then. She actually made him break his set face with that. He frowned deeply, glowering down at her as he lifted his leg, connecting his foot with her stomach easily.

Hotaru screeched as she fell to her ass on the floor, gripping at her stomach and coughing, her eyes closed tightly against the world that had hurt her so badly. Sasuke moved a step forward again, looming over her once more, his hand resting calmly on the hilt to his sword. Slowly she opened her eyes and looked up, giving a final cough before leaning back on one arm, panting lightly. "I see you have retained some of your few skills, Hotaru-chan." He smirked at her and she looked away, thinking of how when this all started she use to train every day...now she couldn't remember the last time she trained. She figured instinct was the only thing honing her skills right now. "Yet...you haven't earned your mangekyo...what a pity."

She looked back up at him, his eyes swirling at her before she looked away, slapping a hand over her own eyes. "DON'T. I may be rusty, but that doesn't make me stupid, Sasuke." She heard him scough, but refused to pull her hand away from her eyes; she wouldn't let him win that easily.

"If you had your eternal mangekyo, perhaps you'd be worth some of my time, Hotaru-chan." She ground her teeth at his taunts, wondering where her beautiful Sasuke had gone as she did.

"I've always told you, Uchiha Sasuke," She pulled her hand from her eyes and turned to face him, glaring as she sat up beneath him, drawing her lips into a thinly pressed line of anger. "I don't need keki genkais to defeat anyone; not even YOU." He frowned again, watching her hand shoot up once more, this time reaching for the crotch he had so arrogantly displayed before her. His own hand released his sword, though he debated on cutting her hand off for a second, and snatched at her wrist. He twisted and listened to the bones snapping beneath her screams of pain.


	61. Executing Punishment

_~~**~~Egads! Sasuke is back! lol Yeah, I always thought when he came back there would be much rejoicing and stuff. I suppose I should've taken a gander at my "Akatsuki House of OC" ending before coming to that conclusion XD But, Sasuke's back and...completely psychotic, apparently. He pulls off the look well though, I have to say. I love some of the things he says to Hotaru in this piece and some of the thoughts flashing through his deranged little mind. -Oh, I forgot to do this with the Gaara stuff but, if you don't like** mild rape**, please beware of this piece. Thankyou~~**~~ _

"Executing Punishment"

He forced her hand to the floor, causing her body to arc with agony, her leg flying up to kick him in the back of the head. He eased it to the side, letting her foot fall back to the floor before he looked back to her, narrowing his eyes again. Reaching out he tore open her kimono, watching her breasts spill out as he wrapped his free hand around her throat, pushing his thumb into her delicate wind pipe. She gasped for air in his grasp, squirming beneath him, desperate to free herself from his gaze.

"I could kill you, Hotaru-chan. Punish you for your crimes against your body and against my reputation." He bent forward, letting his breath hit her face as she continued to try and gulp down air, tears pouring out of her eyes again. Her free hand shot up and latched onto his shirt, but he ignored its silent begging pleas. "Do you know what it's like? Trying to make something of yourself, but having to struggle, due to the fact that my ex-girlfriend is now a whore?" His grip on her throat and wrist tightened and she let out a strangled cry, shaking her head viciously at his words. "I was so pissed off at you I couldn't even bring myself back here to tell you to stop." He snarled, baring his teeth at her as her free hand started to claw at whatever it could reach.

He paused, inhaling her scent, his lips resting against her cheek bone, able to just taste her soft flesh. "But, instead of killing you, I could do something you fear even worse." He drew back, looking down at her breast again, eying them with a strange hunger that made her kick her legs; now writhing beneath him. "I could maim you." He looked back at her, feeling her body still with the pure terror that was gripping her, what little air she had in her throat stopping short. Her eyes glimmered with christmas colored fear, even her tears stopping for the briefest of seconds.

"It would be better to make you suffer, rather than kill you, wouldn't you say?" He released her bad hand to grab for a dagger hidden near his sword. He pressed it to the base of one of her breasts before she could do anything other than let out another strangled cry. She grabbed at his hand with her free hand, clawing at his arm and shaking her head, coughing in fits now as she started to gag on her own spit.

His eyes were almost glowing they were so lost and wild. His lips pulled into an insane smirk that she had only ever seen on one other person...it was ironic to her now, that they were acting so much alike. "No one would ever love you anymore, Hotaru-chan. They would only see you as a disfigured old hag who deserved everything she ever got. Do you think anyone would use you then, Hotaru-chan?" She shook her head again, now reaching for his face, deciding to try quelling the anger, rather than fight it.

He frowned, glancing at her hand as her fingertips just barely brushed his jaw and cheek; he looked mad enough to try and bite them off. She flinched, but he dropped the dagger to her chest, catching her hand and shoving it into the ground again, bending her arm at an odd angle. She yelped and he tightened his grip on her throat, narrowing his eyes at her once more. "I forgot how much I hated you, Hotaru-chan." She stilled again, blinking tears out of her eyes as she looked into his own, trying to decipher the foreign anger in them. He looked at her hand again, glancing at his own arms before looking back to hers, looking at the pristine white flesh.

She wasn't scarred like him. You couldn't even tell she was a ninja, not by looking at her, at least. He grit his teeth and squeezed at her hand and throat, almost determined to watch them both pop like balloons. She started to struggle again, kicking her feet and gasping, unable to reach for the hand at her throat. When her eyes rolled back he released some of the pressure on her throat, glowering over at her. "I want to tear you apart..." She rolled her head to face him, coughing quietly again, flexing her hand painfully in his grasp. "I want to make your life as miserable as mine, you stupid bitch." He hissed, his hands moving faster than her eyes could comprehend, even her sharingan was at a loss. He was even more frightening now.

She was on her stomach with her arms behind her back before she understood what was going on. She gasped for air, her body not having realized his hand was long gone, sending the pain else where now. "S-Sasuke, stop!" She jerked her head over her shoulder, feeling a thick chord binding her hands painfully tight, biting into the flesh of her wrists. He turned her back over, hitting her head on the mats carelessly, setting small stars in front of her eyes as he ripped at her obi and kimono.

She blinked, kicking her feet beneath him again and beginning to writhe once more. "Quit it! Get away from me!" She jerked a foot from beneath him, planting it in the center of his bared chest, sending him sliding back a few paces with a soft intake of air. She glared, heaving in air of her own, rolling over and getting to her knees quickly. He looked up, blood spilling from his left eye painfully, staining his cheek and lips as he bore his teeth at her again.

He lunged across the room, slamming her into the floor on her side, striking her head against the table as he did. She screeched, the noise cut short by the connection of wood and skull. For a moment the room was black and she was vaguely aware of a wet, throbbing sensation above her right ear. He drug her into the center of the room again, slamming her to her back and grabbing at her breast, pushing it hard into her chest, making her whimper.

She winced, turning her face from his own as it loomed over her, his fingers pinching and pulling as he rolled the mound of flesh beneath his palm. His breathing was heavy and the blood from his eye was dripping onto her face, mingling with her tears as it rolled to the floor beneath her. "You were always a whore, Hotaru. Always." He growled in the back of his throat, pushing her breast into her chest before releasing it, reaching for her throat. He pushed her head back, letting a slow smile take over his features as she coughed again, her own eyes narrowing this time.

"You would fuck me, then you'd fuck Gaara, then Kiba...hell, I bet you even fucked Naruto. Didn't you?" He grinned, tilting his head to the side a bit as he did, snatching for her hip beneath him. "DIDN'T YOU?" He jerked her lower body hard against his own, letting her feel the well developed thigh muscles she didn't remember him having. His exposed length pressed at her still covered mound, causing her to wince every time he drove fabric between her folds.

She slowly shook her head, but he scoughed a laugh, shaking her head for her, demeaningly, before releasing her with a quick snap. He grabbed at her hips when he did, bending back on his knees to pull her legs around his waist, making her wince again as her bad wrist drug across the tatami mats. "I risked everything for you. I even almost abandoned my life's MISSION for you. And you repaid me by being a SLUT!" He ripped at her panties, easily jerking the fabric from her body with a loud tear. She cried out again, the threads biting into her skin before letting go.

The wad of cloth was between her lips before she knew it, the taste of her own sweat and discharge spreading over her tongue, sending tears out of her eyes again. "You were ALWAYS a fucking whore, Hotaru-chan." He repeated the saying softly for a second time, like a quiet mantra. He seemed a bit calmer now, something about the sight of her bound and gagged with her own panties seemed to let him breathe for a second, to release some unknown pressure. "At least you get PAID to make me look like a fool now, right?" She screamed as he drove himself into her without warning, her eyes wide at the burning sensation blossoming between her thighs.

"And now I'm going to...repay you. I'm going to make YOU...the fool...Hotaru-chan." He grunted as he continued to push in and out of her, holding her legs around his narrow hips, refusing to let up in anyway. The screams kept spilling out of her, the tears quick to follow, her body shaking before his unforgiving form. She wasn't sure why she was screaming...the physical pain, the emotional pain, the rage, or the sadness...she just couldn't stop. And it only seemed to fuel him to want to push harder.

The door flung open, making him jerk his head towards it, insanity gripping hold of his features as relentlessly as his fingers gripped at her thighs. His movements ceased to stop, unable to now that they were so far. Something was on him in a flash, tearing his body from her own, wrenching another scream from behind her gag. She heard him hit the wall and heard a groan of pain issuing from his own mouth. For a second it was safe for her to close her eyes, and for a second, her body refused to move. Spot were dancing in her line of vision, air hard to suck in around the cloth between her teeth, drool collecting on it in the corners of her mouth. Hands were touching her, tender hands that were as alien to her as Sasuke's new found hatred.

Her eyes opened enough to see yellow orbs staring back at her, one as tender as the hands touching her, the other empty of anything. She moaned softly, fighting to keep her eyes open, fighting to keep the stranger in her line of vision; and then they were gone. Ripped from her like Sasuke had been only moments before. She heard snarling and shouting, and the distinct sound of bodies colliding in combat. Her head rolled to the side and she closed her eyes, the noises fading away, the pain ebbing into nothingness, and the agonizing question burned into her brain, echoing loudly. _"Why, Sasuke-kun...?"_


	62. Make it Alright

_~~**~~And, again, we find the girls sitting outside of the dining room listening to Hotaru go through hell lol~~**~~_

"Make it Alright"

Usagi sat on the mat outside of the dining room door, kneeling with her feet tucked neatly beneath her legs, her hands fidgeting anxiously. She bit her lower lip as she listened to the heartbreak in Hotaru's scream and the dishes crashing to the tatami mats. Looking down at the creamy color of her kimono she folded one of the long sleeves over her quivering hand, twisting the expensive fabric into knots.

Resituating uncomfortably she continued to chew at her lower lip, only able to discern the monotone of Sasuke's voice, but easily able to hear Hotaru's suddenly outraged shrieks. Part of her swoll in pride as she listened to Hotaru finally stand up for herself against the arrogant little boy, but the sensible part of her ached with the knowledge that it was all only going to end badly.

Footsteps pausing near her side almost made her jump out of her skin. Quickly she turned to look up at Nikoru, seeing the petite blonde staring at her in confusion. Her normally ever clear blue eyes were puffy and red, tears still shimmering on the brims of her lashes. Her milky white skin was blotchy and red in patches where she had pressed her cheek against the mat uncaringly or held it against a patch of thread on her kimono, imprinting the pattern onto the redness of her face. "Wh-what are you doing, Usa-chan?" Her voice cracked as she spoke, but Usagi jumped to shush her anyways. She dragged the girl to the floor beside her, putting her hand over her mouth as her red eyes widened in surprise and her spine stiffened.

Pulling Nikoru closer she pressed her lips to the girl's ear, her breath shuddering as it fumbled over her cottony thick tongue. She licked her lips before starting, glancing at the thin paper door before them, an ominous quiet echoing from within. "S-Sasuke-kun came back..." Nikoru jolted like the words had been a live wire touching her. Usagi held fast though, pressing her fingers harder over the girl's chapped lips, giving a quick glance to the door before glancing back at the tiny ear she was hissing into. "He's in there with Hotaru-chan n-now...She's standing up for herself...but, you know it's not going to do anything."

Nikoru pried at Usagi's fingers, trying to get the scent of milk tea from beneath her nostrils. Usagi slowly pulled her hand back into her lap and settled again, her heart still thundering in her chest, eyes wide and frightened; she looked very much like the animal of her namesake at the moment. Nikoru opened her mouth to speak, but there was a sudden screech of feminine outrage, and then there was alot of shuffling and banging around.

The two girls whimpered as they stared at the door in stunned silence, remembering this scene from not too long ago, when it had played out with another boy. Though, Usagi had to admit, she would've loved to have seen that boy's glower over the one that was in there with her Hotaru-chan now. Nikoru reached out and lightly wrapped her hand around Usagi's own, drawing her second to her lip to chew on the skin around her fingernails. Usagi glanced over at her, dismissing the nervous act rather than reprimanding it like she normally would've. Looking back to the door they listened to the hushed, but angered voices coming from within.

"No good could ever come from him coming back...I knew it wouldn't...I just knew it..." Nikoru shook her head as she murmured to herself, biting hard on her finger to stop herself from speaking anymore when Usagi gripped her hand to signal the same thing. There was a muffled scream, one that Hotaru had never made in front of them before, even when she had fought with Gaara. Usagi covered her mouth to hide her own scream, tears rolling down her cheeks, her grip on Nikoru's hand now tightened to the point of pain. Leaning over, the small blonde wrapped her arms around her friend, pulling her close as they each buried their faces in one another's kimono shoulders, muffling the sounds of their own helpless cries.

The front door opened behind them and loud talking greeted their ears. Jerking straight and whipping their heads around, they came face-to-face with Deidara and Sasori, each boy casually talking to one another as they pulled their shoes off and the others began to filter in, everyone casually unaware of what was going on in the room in front of them. Deidara paused and frowned, nudging Sasori lightly before motioning to the girls with a strangely concerned face.

Tobi came bounding into the room, waving his arms wildly as he bounced around and called for Nikoru. The blonde squeaked before slapping her hand over her mouth, making the masked man turn to stare at her with his ever unblinking eye. "Nikoru-chan...?" His voice dropped in tone drastically, his body slackening as she got up and ran for him, throwing her arms around his neck and sobbing.

"M-make him stop! Make it stop, Tobi, make it stop!" He blinked in surprise, slowly reaching up to wrap a hand around her waist and lightly pat at her back, able to feel her entire body trembling against him. Turning to look at Deidara and Sasori in confusion he watched them shrug before reaching up and stroking Nikoru's downy soft hair.

"Make what stop, Nikoru-chan? What's going on?" His voice was serious and sober, but she only shook her head and repeated her phrase, choking on her tears and spit, but refusing to let go of him. Kisame walked in, smiling as he stooped over to come through the door, looking down and talking casually to a solemn Itachi.

"Danna!" The blue man turned with surprise registering in his eyes, not having been expecting Usagi to be there to greet him at the door. She flew into him, wrapping her arms around his waist and pressing her wet cheek into his chest, sobbing almost as viciously as Nikoru was now. Itachi frowned as Kisame hugged the girl back, then turned to look at her hysterical friend as she hugged onto Tobi. Zetsu came in, followed by a loudly arguing Hidan and Kakuzu. They all stopped to watch the scene too, Hidan slowly taking off his shoes with slightly disinterested eyes.

"What's wrong, my little okusan? What happened?" Kisame took Usagi by the shoulder, his giant hand a great weight on her delicate form. Gently he lifted her face to his own, bending down to look at her tear stained features, watching her bottom lip tremble as she shook even harder against him.

"He's in there! He's in there hurting her!" She cried out, throwing her hand back towards the closed dining room door. Hidan turned to look at the door before heaving a sigh.

"That same little kid that got y'all so upset last time? He's back and she STILL hasn't learned her lesson enough to not be alone with him?" Kakuzu hit him in the back of the head, gesturing to Nikoru as she let out a stifled cry, turning and burying her face in Tobi's covered neck.

"WHO is, okusan? What's going on?" Kisame frowned, his voice deepening, eyes narrowing as he watched her shake her head and almost choke on her words. Itachi touched his arm with deft fingertips, moving forward silently. Kisame turned to look at him with once again surprised eyes, knowing that the man knew something already; nothing ever got past him.

"Hotaru..." Itachi opened the door quickly, flinging it back with an easy flick of his wrist. The snarl and muffled screech made them all look in horrified interest, the girls covering their mouths with quivering hands. Itachi only managed to move a single pace into the room before Zetsu flew out of the floor in front of him, swatting the snarling boy across the face with the back of his thick hand, sending him flying across the room and into the wall.


	63. Not a Front Line Man

_~~**~~Don't know if y'all remember or not, but the title of this piece is actually a quote from Madara in the recent shippuden comics. Naruto and Sasuke are facing off and Zetsu offers to finish Naruto off, due to Sasuke's weakening condition, but Tobi/Madara steps up and says "Not now, Zetsu-san. You're not really a front-line man." lol Poor Zetsu. So, I gave him his dignity back by letting him tear Sasuke a new one lol Because I just love me some Zetsu ;3 ~~**~~_

"Not a Front-Line Man"

Zetsu bore his fangs in a threatening hiss before turning and kneeling over the reeling Hotaru. Itachi watched the cannibalistic plant use the special care on Hotaru that he only seemed to reserve for other plants or the girl herself. He had never understood what affects the girl had on his comrade, but they had apparently formed a deeper bond than he had realized.

Zetsu's white half let his eye narrow as his entire mouth pulled into a grim line, Hotaru's head falling limp in his fragile hold. Just as he reached to remove her gag, Itachi watched his deranged little brother fly at the plant, roaring like a mad man. Zetsu was up and whipping around before Sasuke even had the chance to connect. The bi-polar plant may have not been a front-line man normally, but it certainly never meant he couldn't tear apart a ninja when confronted with the opportunity.

The back of his hand, once again, connected with his little brother's face, Itachi watching calmly as the confused plant manhandled the boy. Sasuke wouldn't be stopped this time though. Straightening back up after the strike he leered, blood trickling down his chin and onto his bare chest as he jerked the katana out of its holder. Holding it horizontally in front of his chest, he suicide lunged at Zetsu, aiming to cut the taller man in half. Itachi shook his head with a calm smile starting to pull at the corners of his mouth, his eyes falling to the floor softly; long ago he had taught his little brother never to commit such lunges, that nothing good would ever come from them. Apparently, the boy had never paid attention to the lesson.

Grinning with every bit as much insanity, Zetsu lept backwards, ducking and connecting his fist beneath Sasuke's jaw. Itachi closed his eyes as he listened to his brother's teeth shut with a shattering force, a grunt of pain issuing from him before he forced himself to keep going. Catching Zetsu's head in the crook of his arm the boy jerked the man a step forward, flipping the handle of the sword in his grip.

Zetsu leered a grin as the sharpened edge of the sword slashed for the back of his neck, aiming to decapitate. The two sided man ducked again, easily sliding from Sasuke's grasp, the Uchiha child barking in upset as his impromptu plan collapsed around him. One of Zetsu's legs shot out, taking Sasuke's thin ankle from beneath him, sending the boy crashing to the floor as he rose to stand over him. The black side's hand was around the panting boy's throat before he could do much else.

Looming over the younger ninja Zetsu opened his mouth, revealing elongated fangs connected by thin, glistening threads of saliva. He hissed, squeezing his hand so tight Sasuke's face began to turn blue; the Uchiha only continued to smirk at him, as if daring him to continue on. "We see you like choking people...WE have a fondness for it too." The glowing orbs he claimed were eyes widened and narrowed as he spoke, only the black side feeling the need to say much of anything this time.

"We have much more of a fondness for DEVOURING Uchihas though...We get to do it so little anymore..." Tilting his head and leering a bit, unable to close his mouth for the length of his teeth, his voice lowered with the venom of his words this time. When his wide hand clenched down a bit more, Sasuke flinched and began to claw at the black flesh. This made Zetsu laugh in a way that even sent a chill up Itachi's spine.

"Leave him be, Zetsu." Tobi had come into the room now, his voice a tone that Zetsu hadn't heard in so long, he had almost forgotten its owner existed. He paused, lightening his grip just so on Sasuke's throat, glancing over his shoulder with a narrowed eye as he did.

"We want to EAT him." This came out as more of a growl than an actual statement, but the words were there enough to make Sasuke start writhing again.

"I don't repeat myself, Zetsu." Turning to face the masked man fully now, the white side's eye noticed Itachi kneeling near Hotaru's still body. He flinched, but Tobi held out a hand, never moving from his spot by the door. "I'm not interested in having this boy killed yet. So, why don't you gather the girl?" Zetsu watched Tobi with narrowed eyes again, drawing his upper lip back in a sneer as he moved to ignore the man. Itachi pulled the gag out of Hotaru's mouth a bit thoughtlessly, making her cough and release a soft whimper, breaking the sudden silent tension of the room. Immediately Zetsu released Sasuke's throat, the boy's hand flying to the already purple marks, chest laboring beneath the sudden ability to breath.

Itachi moved back calmly as he watched Zetsu fly at him and the girl. He held up his hands, reminding the man who was friend and who was foe, then turned to look back at his little brother, watching the boy sit up and lean heavily on one arm. Slowly Zetsu's teeth retracted, his lips falling comfortably over the smaller fangs that were his usual. Taking in a calming breath he gathered Hotaru in his arms, cradling her against his chest princess style and rising to his feet. Turning he looked at Tobi, who nodded to show he was doing the right thing, then he turned and faced Sasuke.

The Uchiha prince glowered at him, now sitting up with one arm draped casually across his knee, the red and purple whelps on his throat matching his outfit and eyes. Zetsu narrowed his own eyes at him, then looked down at Hotaru, the white side's eye softening towards her sleeping countanence. "We can fix her..." It murmured, their two bodies slowly sinking into the floor as it did. "Yes...we can fix her...And eat HIM later...Piece. By. Little. Screaming. Piece..." The words hissed through the room ominously, long after their owner had disappeared.


	64. True Purposes

_~~**~~BTWs, I'm a BIG ItaSasu fan, so if you catch subtle undertones of incest in this piece just ignore it^^; And, for those of you who don't know, "aniki" is an endearing term for "big brother" and "ototo" means "little brother"~~**~~_

"True Purposes"

Finally, Sasuke let his sharingon land on Tobi's stock still form. The keki genkai burned, letting him know something was off about the masked man before him, letting him know that he should be wary of the tall, cloaked figure. But, his brother shifting in his peripheral caught his attention, turning his gaze to him. He noticed the two of them, and the plant, were wearing matching cloaks. When he glanced away from the bored disdain in his older brother's own sharingon, the masked man had disappeared, apparently having walked through the door he had come through. It sat still and shut now, silence on the other side.

"Well, I see you're still every bit as weak as when I last left you, little ototo." Sasuke's eyes narrowed again as he turned to face his brother once more, watching him drop the wad of panties he had pulled out of Hotaru's mouth, with a mildly disgusted grimace. "You gagging her with her own lingerie certainly wasn't a move I was expecting in your return here." He folded his hands calmly in front of himself as he looked back to Sasuke, the boy standing and straightening his outfit out now that he realized his big brother wasn't going to attack him. He should've guessed he wouldn't; nothing ever phased his brother enough to incite an attack out of him, apparently.

"I didn't realize how much I had come to hate her until I saw her again, ANIKI." He smirked at the placid prodigy child, stressing the once sacred term of endearment with as much venom as he could. Itachi only let the pain flicker in his eyes for a second, something that was almost too fast for even Sasuke's sharingon to pick up. "And you, NII-SAN? Why are YOU here with her? Thought you'd get under my skin by fucking her?" He sneered in a mock fashion of Zetsu's own, the half cocked grin behind the attempt making it look even more vicious. Itachi shrugged calmly beneath his cloak, drawing an arm back into the mouth of the garb to rest it comfortably across his chest, only his hand peeking out from the middle fold.

"I stumbled upon her by mistake...but, the idea hadn't failed to cross my mind." His tone was flat and bored, something that made Sasuke's skin crawl. The boy frowned at the unexpected response.

"Pity, if you suffered through such a thing. It's done nothing to affect me at all, only made me empathize with you; IF you have." His hand instinctively gripped the handle of his now sheathed katana as he knitted his brow at the floor. This was where Itachi let a small smile creep over half of his feminine face.

"Foolish little ototo." Sasuke flinched at the ever calm use of the once loving and joking remark, his eyes narrowing as he slowly let them creep back over his brother's face. "I believe I enjoyed it much more than you EVER could. Pity, you were the one to break her in and -I- was the one to reap the benefits."

Itachi watched as his little brother white knuckled the sword in his grasp, grinding his teeth together behind tightly pressed lips. He continued on though, acting as though he hadn't seen these changes at all. "Seeing as you don't want her, I guess I'll take her and use her for her one OBVIOUS purpose." The younger Uchiha let another flinch wave over him, the blood of his eyes belaying his surprise and wonder at what his brother was getting at. Itachi paused for affect, letting the words sink in before he laid the rest of his words out in the open for the boy. "I'll kill you and use her to restart the clan, little ototo."

The sword started to slide from its sheath with those words, Sasuke's eyes wide and thoughtless as they regarded him suddenly. "It would be simple really...I could do it all now even; if I wanted to." Itachi shrugged, watching the blind rage take over his little brother's face, his left eye beginning to bleed heavily again as it pulsed chakra to the sharingon. "Still getting use to your new eyes, little ototo? It's almost cute..." Orochimaru's curse mark began to flower over the boy's left shoulder, blossoming up his throat and over the side of his face, fingering its way down his chest just as easily; fueled by the boy's foolish hatred and rage.

Suddenly, Sasuke's eyes focused in on Itachi's again, his face slowly twisting in anger. "I won't let you have her...!" He growled, lunging the short distance for his brother, whipping the sword out with amazing speed. Itachi easily deflected the blade, striking at his little brother's wrist with simple grace, his body failing to even flinch as the younger Uchiha dropped his weapon. Lashing out and grabbing hold of his throat, Itachi used his free hand to snatch at Sasuke's wrist, twisting it at an odd angle to keep his brother's own free hand at bay. The Uchiha prodigy's cloak fell to the floor in a flurry of black and red cloth, pooling around his feet to reveal the same, narrow form Sasuke had known so well as a child.

Itachi grinned, pushing his thumb beneath his brother's chin as he gripped his throat, tilting his head back farther and farther as he did. Sasuke took in quick, short breaths of air through his gritted teeth, spitting lightly as he glared down his nose at the smaller man holding him in such a tight grasp. "You seem so keen on keeping her suddenly, Sasuke-kun. Have a change of heart?" Itachi twisted the thick wrist in his hold, listening to something snap beneath the skin. Sasuke grimaced, a shudder running over his body as he let out a stifled groan, slowly opening his eyes after a moment. Itachi never flinched.

"I'm going to punish you now, little ototo." Slowly Itachi guided the younger Uchiha to his knees, pushing his thumb into his windpipe every time the boy thought of fighting against the simple movements. "I'm going to remind you of why you hate ME, little ototo. I'm going to show you what this girl did FOR you while you were gone. And, I'm going to remind you of who MADE you, little ototo. Because it seems you have forgotten just why they did and what it was all FOR." Itachi's eyes widened just so, the strange black ring around his pupil beginning to spin in a way that was all too familiar to the boy.

Sasuke sucked in a breath, shutting his eyes tightly against the jutsu. They shot back open when the final bone in his wrist shattered and the thumb on his windpipe pushed in hard enough to stop his breathing. The curse mark began to fade away, anger slowly being replaced by fear. "I want you STRONGER, little ototo...and I don't want to see you again until you're WORTHY of my time." Itachi hissed the words as his little brother's eyes glazed over and his body slacked. His broken wrist fell to the floor limply, his head only remaining upright with the guidance of Itachi's still hand. And then, his little brother screamed.


	65. Find a Better Road

"Find a Better Road"

Anger. Gods, there had been so much anger in his eyes. What once had been silent, brooding revenge, had become something venomous and acidic. Those eyes had eaten into her soul. What happened to him? What happened to those beautiful eyes? _Why, Sasuke-kun? Why?_

Hotaru's eyes shot open, confronted with nothing but emptiness. She yelped, shaking her head and pushing a hand into the air, shutting her eyes tight against the foreign darkness. The noise strangled in her throat, turning into a sputtered cough, her fingers wrapping around her throat in terror. She was blind!

Her eyes shot open again, refusing to accept what her mind had given her as answer to the black oblivion she had awakened to. This time she found herself facing down two solid, glowing orbs of yellow. She let out another quiet screech of surprise, her second hand shooting out to push the phantom away. Instead, she felt the warmth of a thick hand catch hers in a tight grasp. She silenced herself, the right orb widening and softening with some concern, allowing her to realize she was staring into a set of eyes.

"Poor Hotaru-chan...She even wakes up in fear..." The hiss wrapped around her like a vine, the hand squeezing her own with what she assumed was attempted gentility. Hotaru shook her head, squeezing the hand back as the fog of unconsciousness began to leave her more and more, allowing her to realize who was holding onto her in such a lovingly distant way.

"No fear, poor Hotaru-chan...We have seen to the boy..." This hiss was deeper, sending a shiver down her spine as she whimpered and rolled her head to the side, squeezing the hand tighter.

"D-don't. No, "poor Hotaru-chan"s, I-I...just don't." Her voice rasped, making her eyes well with tears she strained to hold back. She had cried for too long as it was. She sat up, pushing his hand aside, attempting to wrench from his grasp. There were things to be done. "Wh-where is he? Where is Sasuke?" He wouldn't release her hand, instead tightened his grip on it, yanking her into the solidity of his chest, eliciting a pained gasp. His second hand wrapped around her, tightening the embrace to the point she thought her ribs would break.

"We took care of the boy...He is gone..." His lips grazed her ear warmly, malice dripping from every word he hissed. She turned her head away, peering through the now dim darkness towards the door. She felt his teeth on her throat, the tip of his tongue smoothing along her skin behind them, forcing her to bite back another gasp. She shook her head again, pulling back to flatten a hand against his chest, frowning at him through the darkness again.

"No! What did you do to him? Where IS he?" She barked the demand, his right eye once again widening and softening as it regarded her, traces of laughter hiding beneath its glow. The hand holding her own squeezed again, sliding to lace comfortable fingers with hers, second hand squeezing softly at her hip where it lay just as comfortably.

"Itachi...got rid of the boy..." The eyes cut to the side, as though saddened with the words. "We wanted to tear him into pieces...We wanted to listen to his scream..." He turned and focused back in on her, left eye livid through the darkness as it gauged her reaction. She hung her head, losing her eyes to him as his words soaked in.

"But, We had to care for Hotaru-chan...We had to make her better..." The voice softened to a murmur, hand on her hip squeezing lightly again, as though assuring itself and her that it was there.

"Now, we will find the boy and take care of him...For Hotaru-chan..." The left hand squeezed her own again, voice dipping into a violent promise of a snarl. Hotaru shook her head again, looking back to him with a sniffle.

"N-no! No..." He blinked in surprise, but let the emotion fall from his face as soon as he did. Instead he resigned himself to listening, watching her lower lip quiver, eyes darting back and forth over the inky black camouflage of his cloaked chest. Her breath quickened, chest rising and falling rapidly along with it, thoughts beginning to pick up speed. "I-I have to do this. I'm done with this. I'm so tired of crying...so tired..." Tears spilt down her cheeks anyways, making them glisten in the pale moonlight filtering in from a tall window behind him. She fell into his chest with a quiet sob, trembling in his grasp, wrapping her own arms around him.

"We will help, Hotaru-chan...We will help..." His lips whispered through her hair, eyes closing as he took in her scent, releasing her hip to brush his fingers through her hair and down the curve of her back. She shook her head again though, arguing with him to the bitter end.

"N-no! I have to do this by myself! H-how could he come back like that? How could he...how could he do that-" She shook her head, leaning back in his grasp a second time, looking to him for the answers she herself couldn't form. He simply stared back at her, refusing to release her to the solitude she seemed to desperately want. "Wh-what happened to him, Zetsu? Where was MY Sasuke-kun?" She whimpered, tears spilling onto her sheet covered thighs. He shook his head as well, drawing her against him a second time, releasing her wrist to cup the back of her head as she wept against his chest once more.

"We do not know what Hotaru-chan speaks of...We do not know any boy other than the boy who hurt our Hotaru-chan." She gave an exasperated and frustrated growl at his words, but he ignored it. His eyes closed and lips pressed to her temple, fingers tangling in her curls lightly. "We have a guess Orochimaru fouled the boy...if he was as Hotaru-chan says...We suspect Itachi thinks the same thing..." She sat up, looking at him with wide eyes and parted lips suddenly.

"O-orchimaru...! That sick fuck!" She struck a fist against his chest, a resound thump echoing through the room, but failing to make him flinch in the slightest. Hotaru flinched for him, gasping and whipping back to face him again. "Z-zetsu, I'm sorry...!" His eyes closed, head shaking silently with what she thought was a hint of a smile tugging at his right half.

"Hotaru-chan has woken up with a new resolution." She bowed her head once more, nodding slowly as she nibbled at her lower lip, fingering the cloth of his back she clutched so tightly. She opened her mouth to speak, but found heself pushed to her back, shock arresting her features as he pinned her beneath him. A finger traced her cheek, smoothing down the side of her neck and over her shoulder, brushing through the blanket of her hair. "We took care of Hotaru-chan..." She blinked, features softening when she heard the hidden tinge of pain in his voice. She lifted her hand, letting her fingertips graze the starch white of his cheek, smiling lightly when he nuzzled into her caresses.

"You did...I'm sorry I didn't notice..." He pulled from her, shaking his head lightly as well, pushing her hand back to the tatami mat beneath her. He shifted and she drew a leg up beside his waist. "Thankyou, Zetsu-san..." Something sparked in his eyes when she spoke to his darker half. He blinked at her for a moment, looking as though he were assessing the legitimacy of her gratitude. She smiled patiently, reaching up to smooth fingers through his choppy green hair, hesitating only once before doing so. He reached out, grazing fingers down the back of her arm before turning to it and pressing his lips against the inside of her skin.

His hand slid down the curve of her hip, smoothing over her thigh before gripping down with a possessive growl, dragging it farther against him. She dropped her hand back to the mat, turning her head to the side when he bowed to mesh their lips. He frowned, biting at her throat instead. She yelped, arching and pushing a hand against his chest. He bit harder, forcing her to relinquish and grip down on his cloak instead. "Z-zetsu...I can't. Not now. Th-there's too much for me to do..." She whimpered, squirming beneath him as he reached between them and drug the sheet down on her chest, allowing her to realize, for the first time, that she had nothing on beneath.

"We took care of Hotaru-chan...We did not kill the boy, for Hotaru-chan..." He snarled again, upper lip drawing back once more as he did. She turned to towards him again, cupping his face and forcing him to look at her.

"I know you did. And I'll thank you better for it when I can. But, I need to see my girls. I need to see my Nikoru-chan." He huffed, pushing past the barrier of her hands, their lips colliding when he did. His tongue pushed past her teeth, forcing her mouth wider to welcome him. She moaned, arching into him a second time, fingers threading through his hair once more. He groaned, brow furrowing as he slid back, tugging at her lower lip in effort to prolong contact. His hands slid back as well, one grabbing at the folds of the sheet still partially covering her.

In a single, fluid movement he was up and part way across the room, tearing the sheet along with him. Hotaru gasped, hands instinctively moving to shield herself from unseen eyes, though her own hues never left his. He growled, dropping the sheet to the floor next to him. She bit her lip, catching the hint and slowly moving her hands away, listening to the sound ebb into silence as more of her flesh came into view.

"She is OUR Hotaru-chan..." Her head whipped up at the possessive hiss, eyes widening only to realize he had long left her alone. She looked around with frantic eyes once more, not sure she was ready to be alone yet. When she came to the conclusion that she didn't have much choice in the matter and had basically been the one to push him away anyways, she buried her face in her hands and started to cry.

"N-no! No. No more of this." She stopped herself, coughing and sniffling as she lifted her head and smeared the back of her hand beneath her nose. "No more crying. It's time to do something. Time to stop this." She blinked, rubbing at her eyes and wiping at her nose a final time before rising to unsteady feet. Her body was sore, aching as she staggered across the room and fell against the decorative screen in the corner, sending it to the floor with a loud clatter. She drug herself to her knees, shaking off the pain and tossing hair from her eyes, bending to dig under one of the tatami mats until her fingers wrapped around the cool metal of a key.

She jammed it into the over sized padlock, letting both thud to the floor carelessly as she threw back the heavy lid on the trunk she was knelt before. She closed her eyes and inhaled the scent of her past, chewing her cheek as years of haunted turmoil came flooding back to the forefront of her mind. Something new was pushing past it all though. Some new feeling blooming in her chest, spidering coils of heat through her veins as it ignited into something almost empowering. Her eyes opened and she reached inside, "It's time to stop this."


	66. Resurrection

_~~**~~Time lapse! Not such a warp this time, but certainly a time lapse. This is a tack on to Nikkias' newest piece for this story. Hidan catches Nikoru trying to run away in the middle of the night and basically tells her she can't leave and doesn't have a choice in the matter. He sexes her up, still outside on the roof, and SOMETHING happens...but, she never finished it and I never got around to even thinking the rest of it through for her XD But, in this piece, Hotaru basically catches Nikoru outside while she's trying to run away again(or either its the same time, which ever you prefer)and Hotaru basically does the same thing Hidan does; minus the sexing up XD~~**~~_

"Resurrection"

Hotaru snatched at Nikoru's thin wrist, whipping her back around to face her. Her eyes flared in the darkness, the petite blonde's doing the same before softening into a pained state. "You're LEAVING me?" She hissed the words at her, as though they were poisonous to her ears and tongue. Nikoru closed her eyes, sighing and shaking her head slowly, attempting to tug her hand free of her friend's grasp. When Hotaru wouldn't let go, Nikoru opened her eyes and frowned, jerking free this time.

"It's not like you wanted me here in the first place, Hotaru-chan. You did everything in your power to deter me from staying here. Now you're suddenly upset because I actually want to leave and protect myself?" She tilted her head, the words coming out harsher and more bitter than she had meant for them too; but, there was no taking them back now. If Hotaru had to see how she really felt, then she had to see how she really felt. Instead of appearing stung by the words, though, Hotaru's eyes hardened against her even more, her lips pressing into a thin line of anger.

"And -I- don't protect you as it is? What, you can suddenly protect yourself better than -I- can protect you?" She barked the last words, her voice having risen in pitch as she continued speaking. Nikoru blinked in some surprise, flinching when Hotaru flinched towards her first, looking as though she were angry enough to attack. Nikoru shook her head, turning to look away from her confused friend.

"You can't protect me from everything, Hotaru-chan. You know that as well as I do." She sighed, closing her eyes once more as she spoke, a soft summer breeze caressing through her hair. The cicadas were out, churring and clicking away alongside the crickets and the frogs, giving the breezy heat a sound. Better to drown out her own words as she spoke them.

"I can protect you from everything!" Hotaru cried out this time, snatching at her shoulder and ripping her back around to face her. Nikoru yelped in surprise, flinching from the painful grip Hotaru had on her shoulder, staring at her in surprise again. Desperation and anger etched over Hotaru's face, muggy clouds of heat panting from her bitten lips. "You can't tell me what I can't protect you from! I protect you from everything! I'm the ONLY one who will protect you-EVER!" She shook her head as she barked the words again, Nikoru shaking her head as well, anger slowly filtering over her normally gentle features.

"You can't protect me from yourself!" Now she looked as though she had been slapped. Nikoru covered her mouth, closing her eyes as tears spilt out of them. She dropped her head, sniffling before pulling her hand away, feeling it tremble as she dropped it back to her side heavily. "I can't stay here and watch Sasuke tear you apart again. I wasn't here for him leaving the first time, but I've SEEN the after effects. I didn't come back here to watch you let yourself be destroyed by some idiot." She shook her head again, folding an arm across her stomach and covering her mouth once more. "You just let him do it...You just let him treat you like shit..." She snapped her head back up, glaring at Hotaru now, jaw setting with her words. "I don't care. Cow at his feet and let him stomp on you, I don't care. Just don't force me to watch." She waved her off, turning and squaring her shoulders back as she started to walk away again.

Hotaru grit her teeth, grabbing the girl's shoulder a second time, but moving in front of her in a flurry of silk. Nikoru paused with wide, but bitter eyes as Hotaru held her at bay, staring her down determinedly. "I'm done being everyone's door mat. I'm done being the laughing stock of my village. And I'm DONE being the victim I have set myself up to be." Hotaru released Nikoru's shoulder, grabbing at the lose belt of her kimono. She threw the robe to the side and Nikoru's hand flew to her mouth for a second time, anger fading into nothingness as she looked over her friend.

"Y-you...You're going back?" Nikoru gasped the words, choking them out around the lump swelling in her throat. Hotaru's features softened immediately, her smile returning as she nodded and held out a hand. Nikoru gave a cry of joy, throwing her arms around Hotaru's throat and burying her face in her shoulder.

"Things will get better now...And, you can come back with me." Hotaru wrapped her arms around her friend, burying her nose in her hair with a quiet laugh, Nikoru giggling softly in response. "I'm sorry I put you and Usagi through all of this pain, I'm sorry that I lost sight of protecting you and thought only of my own overblown issues...I'll make things better now, I promise...I just need you to forgive me..." Hotaru leaned back, linking their hands between them as Nikoru stepped back as well, sniffling and nodding with quiet laughter again.

"Y-yeah...I forgive you..." Hotaru nodded, pushing a curl behind her ear as she watched her friend swipe at her eyes with another small laugh. "I just...Gods...I'm just happy you're pulling together again, Hotaru-chan." Nikoru sniffled once more, unable to stop another wave of tears as she launched herself into Hotaru's arms again. Hotaru laughed aloud this time, squeezing her before stepping back once more.

"I'm happy too, Kitten...I'm just sorry it took this long." She sighed lightly, dropping her head before shaking off whatever bad thoughts had been brought about by the words. She smiled up at Nikoru again, taking her by the hand and turning to start leading her off. "Come on, let's go wake up Usagi Nee-san and show her what's going on." Nikoru nodded brightly, starting after her friend with another reassuring squeeze of her hand.

She wasn't sure what this meant for the Girou. She wasn't sure what this meant for any of them. Hell, she wasn't even sure what this meant for tomorrow morning. But, she knew that when Hotaru had mentioned pulling together and making life better for them, she had meant it. Seeing her in her Anbu uniform let Nikoru know, Hotaru would once again cut down anyone who stood in the way of their happiness.

Even with the hesitance building in her alongside of all the questions of what was going to happen next, Nikoru felt a small piece of her calm in a way it hadn't in a long time. A small piece of her knew that, now that Hotaru was up and functioning for herself again, things would fall into place and be alright. She still couldn't help but wonder what this meant for the rest of them though...


	67. Disappointing Understandings

"Disappointing Understandings"

Usagi sighed softly in her sleep, rolling onto her side and nuzzling into her arm. It was wonderful not being so alone anymore. She had never really known the touch of a man, never really known why Hotaru was so desperate to keep one at her side. Now, though she didn't understand Hotaru's desperation still, she understood how wonderful it could be to drift in the safety of a man's embrace. To feel the warmth and solidity, the strength and power, of a man beneath her fingertips...To feel the heat of his breath against her throat as the sound of her name rolling off his tongue filled her ears...She never wanted to be alone again. She never wanted to remember the feel of cool sheets on the empty half of her futon in the morning. She never wanted to remember the empty space at her side and in her heart. Ever again.

Something soft brushed strands of her hair behind her ear. She whimpered, furrowing her brow as she was drawn from the peaceful slumber engulfing. "Usa-chan...Usa-chan, wake up..." A tiny hand was pushing at her shoulder, rocking her closer and closer to the brink of consciousness. "Usa-chan, please...! Wake up, it's important...!" There was a quiet whimper beneath the words. Her eyes shot open, probing the darkness before she rolled halfway onto her back, looking up into Nikoru's own bright eyes. She frowned again, closing her eyes and draping the back of her hand over them.

"Neh...Nikoru-chan, honey, what is it? It has to be four something in the morning...this couldn't wait for another hour?" She whimpered, falling flat onto her back as she did. Her shoulder bumped into another thicker one and she smiled lightly to herself, unable to help it. Nikoru beamed brightly, squatting next to the futon with her knees pressed up against her chest. Her pale, thin legs gleamed in the moonlight, her eyes and hair following suit. She almost reminded Usagi of a child's spirit.

"No, it couldn't! Usa-chan, we have to talk! Something wonderful has happened!" Usagi frowned again, turning to face her fully now, hearing the excitement in her voice as she strained to keep it quiet. It was hard for the petite blonde to keep quiet; almost a chore, really. She beamed again, reaching out and shaking her shoulder a little, bouncing in place some as she did. "Get up, Usa-chan! It's important!" She hissed again, biting her lower lip happily. Usagi sat up, leaning on her elbow as she did.

"What is it, honey? What's going on?" She reached out to pat the girl's knee, but Nikoru rolled her eyes and huffed.

"Usagi! Get out of bed! We have to talk!" She grabbed Usagi's hand, tugging at it, but Usagi wouldn't budge, just kept looking at her like she had lost her mind. The sheets shifted over her, their loud rustling stilling Nikoru for a second.

"Mmm...what is it, Okusan? What's going on?" Kisame rolled over and draped his wide arm over the curve of Usagi's body. He lifted his head, looking down at the girl as she peered over her shoulder at him, the light concern in her eyes making him blink whatever sleep was left away.

"I don't know, Danna...Nikoru-chan won't really tell me." She looked back to Nikoru, Kisame looking over at the girl too. He furrowed his heavy brow, tilting his head a bit as he regarded the now quiet Nikoru.

"What is it, Nikoru-chan? Is everything alright?" Nikoru opened her mouth to speak, but Kisame's eyes darted from her own, zeroing in on the open doorway over her shoulder. Nikoru took her turn to frown in confusion, tilting her head at him to judge if he was listening for a response still or not, then turning to look over her shoulder and she what had every fiber of his attention. She smiled brightly when she did.

Hotaru stood in the doorway now, fingers resting lightly on the polished wood of the doorjamb, second hand hanging gently at her side. She smiled softly at Nikoru, something in the green of her eyes sparking before she looked back at Kisame. Usagi hid her open mouth behind her hand, gasping softly as she looked her friend over. Kisame sighed heavily, his entire body hefting with the weight of it. His arm slowly pulled a bit tighter around Usagi, his eyes tiredly falling to Usagi's bare shoulder. "Oh, Hotaru-chan..." Though his words were weighted with sadness and disappointment, Hotaru continued to watch the three of them with a loving smile.

"I need to speak with everyone."


	68. Keep Friends Close, Enemies Closer

"Fork in the Road"

"You understand what this means."

"Of course I do. But, I have to do this. I have to get everything back in order. I have to fix what I've destroyed."

Itachi sighed and looked at the table, wondering if he would ever watch his reflection in the wood ever again. He tapped a finger lightly, able to hear Nikoru and Hidan bickering in the next room, Hidan barking at the girl alot louder than he should have been. He supposed he understood though, the occultist was going to have to go back to basically a life of celibacy now. Hotaru shifted and he glanced up at her again, watching her emerald eyes narrow towards the crack in the dining room door. She was listening to her friend's lover's quarrel as well.

"This puts us on a bad level, Hotaru." She looked back to him, a stray curl falling across her face before she absently pushed it behind her ear. Even now her movements seemed more put together, quicker and more fluid. She tilted her head, her hip cocking to the side, briefly distracting his eyes. The skin tight outfit left nothing to his imagination, nor anyone else's.

"It doesn't have to. We don't HAVE to be enemies." He laughed bitterly within himself, but let nothing register on his countanence. Instead he looked to the side, wondering what his partner was going through with the tall girl he had attached himself to. This would be hardest on his partner, of that he was sure. His little attachment hadn't been one out of lust, instead it had blossomed out of something deeper, something Itachi didn't realize his comrade was harboring within him.

"You understand the toll your decision has taken on your sisters." She huffed at his subject change, but cut her eyes from his own when he looked to her for a response. She stilled for a moment, reaching an arm across her narrow stomach, rubbing at the flat blade of the katana attached to her gauntlet. Something within him hated that outfit. Something inside of him cried out for him to tear it off of her and burn it.

"I-I know...It seems in trying to rebuild the bridges I have burnt, I'm burning new ones that others have built." He nodded with her words, listening to the sadness tinging them. She sighed, her body rising and falling slowly with the movement, then turned back to face him. "My sisters can do what they like, I will turn a blind eye to whatever they choose and they know it. But, I can't take this back. I HAVE to do this." He studied her for another moment, seeing now that her convictions were as strong as she claimed them to be. A quiet part of him cheered for her.

A small smile tugged the corner of her mouth up, eyes sparkling at him as they watered up with tears. "Itachi...I meant it, we don't have to be enemies." He shook his head and rose to his feet, pushing off from the table as he did. This time he removed his eyes from her own, not wanting to see the sincerity of her words. Sometimes it didn't matter what you wanted, sometimes there was just no going around it.

"Do you plan to confront my little brother?" He heard her snap back on a frustrated growl. He turned to her, no traces of the tears she had once thought of spilling in her eyes any longer. Now they were actually slightly bitter and annoyed. She folded her arms across her chest, turning her head from him with another huff. He smiled behind his lips.

"I don't know. That's more your job." He nodded, glad she seemed to want to respect the feud between him and his baby brother. She did not know that Sasuke was his atonement, but he got the feeling she understood there was something much deeper going on than anyone realized. She looked back to him, flexing her gloved fingers on her arm as she did, something subtly sparking to life on her features. "But, I do know that if I ever cross paths with him again I'll push my blade against his own." Once more he nodded at her, a curt and swift motion, then he glanced back at the door.

"Where will y'all go now?" He shrugged at her question, unsure himself. He supposed they would go back to the hideout with Pein and Konan, take up living with them again. Konan wouldn't be too happy, and he didn't imagine Pein would be, but there was nothing that could be done.

"We will continue with our missions and find our way, do not worry." She shifted again, turning his gaze back to her once more. Her eyes were on the floor, a single hand dangling at her side now, hip pushed out once again.

"You never told me what your missions were. I mean, I know it's something illegal, probably, but I can't help but wonder." He shook his head, lips thinning into a light and grim line.

"It's none of your concern." Because it would kill you to know you could do nothing to stop it.

"Really, Itachi, you don't have to worry about telling me. I'm not going to relay your secrets or anything. I promise." She smiled and held out a casual hand, but he turned back to her, eyes flaring to stop her words in their tracks.

"I told you it's none of your concern. Anbu or civilian, it doesn't matter, I'm not going to tell you." She blinked for a second, mouth opening in surprise before closing again, eyes falling to the floor beneath his feet.

"You're right...I'm sorry." He nodded once more, now sighing and moving for the door. Her head snapped up again, eyes widening a little as she watched him move to go. "W-wait...!" She reached for him, but he watched her fingers falter and finally fall back to her side when he turned his bloody eyes on her again. She looked away, obviously embarrassed at her outburst. For a final time he watched a rose tint fall over her cheeks and watched her eyes glimmer tauntingly beneath feathery lashes. His eyes traced the cupid's bow curve of her cherry red lips, falling to watch the light flutter of the pulse in her slender throat. He blinked his thoughts back, turning to the door and sliding it back in its track quietly.

"Three days head start." She looked up, watching him step out the door, frowning a little.

"Wait, what?" She jogged over to his side, stopping in the doorway as he started to glide down the hall, rapping on doors to let the others know he was ready to leave. "Itachi," He paused at the sound of his name, fist raised to tap against his and Kisame's door.

"We will have a three day head start. Then you may send your friends and village after us." He struck the door as he spoke, hearing a quiet whimper on the other side as he did. He wondered if it was the girl or his giant of a partner making such a pained noise.

"I'm not going to tell the others about you, baka." He turned, walking back up the hall and striking Hidan and Kakuzu's door as he passed. He could hear the laughter tingeing Hotaru's voice and see it on her face. He turned from her again, stepping down into the genkan, Deidara and Tobi filtering out into the hallway first. Tobi was strangely silent and his blonde partner didn't seem too keen on speaking either.

"We'll see how you feel about that once you are among them again." He knew the sand village boy that he had fought for her knew of his group. He knew that the countries were starting to realize what they were and were starting to send out parties to find them. And, he knew that when she got back to the village, if the sand boy wasn't there to tell her she would be told by someone else. He wondered if she would still be so keen on not hunting them down after that. He listened to her sigh a final time, most likely accompanying it with an eye roll and cock of her hip.

"We don't HAVE to be enemies." He ignored the comment again, knowing it was for the better of all of them.

_~~**~~**The End.** lol If you managed to get through all of this to the end then congrats for you! I'm flattered and amazed XD Please tell me how you feel about it if you did ;3 And, if anyone is interested, Nikkias and I ARE working on a bit of sequel. It'll be sort've like the "Akatsuki Puppies" revamped and updated with a story-line that ties into this one instead of standing on its own^^ Thankyou everyone for reading! It means so much to me!~~**~~_


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